The Settlement
by KhajiitWarriorSam
Summary: The war is over, Nameless is dead, and I've returned home with my lover. It's finally time for the happy ending. At least that's what I thought. Dark forces are gathering in the corners of Skyrim, my lover is cracking at the seams, and a plague sweeps through Solitude. I'm a general of the legion, but I have no idea what to do. Rikke x Female Dragonborn. A sequel to The March.
1. Home

**Note: This happens roughly a month after Rikke and the Dovahkiin return to Solitude. Now, as a reminder Sarieh is Nameless's sister, Aeta is Nameless's real name, the savages believe the Dovahkiin killed Nameless, and Rikke never told the Dovahkiin that she killed Nameless/Aeta. Now, enjoy.**

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I feel Nameless above me, her weight bearing down on me. I desperately kick and fight to get away from my captor, but it's no use. My 'wife' smiles as she claims me, her sharpened nails scratching against my walls. Hot tears roll down my face as I scream in agony, but that only seems to spur the nameless savage on. The dark, damp room is lit only by a few candles. There's not a single rock, piece of wood, or other object I can use to defend myself. The room itself is deep under Riften, where nobody can hear me scream as the other woman continually claims me against my will. I once again scream for Rikke to come save me, but no help comes. Nameless cruelly laughs, leans in, and whispers, "She didn't care about you. Why do you think she left you with me?". I try to fight even harder than before, but the Nord above me is twice as strong as any normal human. I'm not sure where Rikke has gone, but she sure as oblivion isn't here. I once again scream, but this time something happens. I feel someone roughly shaking my shoulders, and Nameless's face slowly dissolves above me. I keep screaming, but I hear someone else screaming back. "Wake up! Wake up!". I snap awake, embraced in my lover's arms. Rikke keeps consoling me, and when she notices I'm awake she places gentle kisses on my face. I slowly catch my breath, sweat soaking my nightclothes.

Rikke keeps holding me, calming me down all the while. Since we've returned to Solitude I haven't been able to sleep, night terrors haunting me every single time I close my eyes. And, I haven't been able to have sex with Rikke for the last few weeks. We arrived at Solitude a month ago, but I've only had sex with her once. In part because we haven't had time, but mostly how that one time ended. I was enjoying it, but suddenly I was back in Riften. Back in that dark, cold, and cramped room where Nameless kept me captive for three weeks. Where I lost one eye, a finger, and a toe. Rikke didn't do anything Nameless did to me, but suddenly she morphed into the nameless savage. I could only imagine what it must have been like for Rikke. One second she's fucking her lover, then suddenly her partner breaks into tears and starts yelling 'rape'. I truly don't understand why I can't have sex with Rikke, and why I can't fall asleep. I was perfectly fine after The Battle of Whiterun, but suddenly it's all come crashing back. I want nothing more than to pleasure Rikke, but I can't bring myself to. Nameless has tainted a deep part of me, and I can't seem to cleanse the darkness from my soul. I think it might be because winter is over. I let Nameless live, and now she could be anywhere. There are even times where I'll be doing household things (cleaning a plate or training with a sword), and suddenly I have a crushing feeling like Nameless is near me. Behind me. I try not to overreact, but more than once I've found myself screaming at the dog or swinging at a shadow.

Rikke pats me on the back, thin beams of sunlight shining through our window. My lover glumly tells me, "We have to get to work.". I nod into her breast and ask, "Will you need me today?". She shakes her head and tells me, "Take the day off if you wish.". I once again nod into her breast. I haven't had to work since we've returned to Solitude. Having your lover as your boss is a definite advantage in this situation. Tullius might not have understood what I was going through and demand I come to work. He seemed like a nice man, but treated people as tools rather than human beings. Rikke has heard my stories, seen my nightmares, and wants me to recover rather than work. I haven't had to go to Castle Dour to do my job, but I'm not 'recovering'. Nameless could be anywhere, and I can't shake that fact. More than once Rikke looks ready to contradict me, but she never has. I think Rikke just assumed the woman died, but I know better. And, my fear controls my life. I can't walk around at night without having my weapon drawn, I grow tense whenever a stranger approaches me, and I start panicking if someone isn't around me. I snap back to reality when Rikke kisses me, dresses for the day, and prepares to leave. I follow her to the door as she heads out to work, waving to my lover and friend as she walks away.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

The men and women around me form the ceremonial circle, our blood sacrifice in the middle. When everything is in place I take the remains from my bag, Nameless's skull gleaming in the torchlight. I place it beside our sacrifice, the babe wailing for a teat to suck on. His mother is long dead, some straggler we met on the road to our home. When we left our sanctuary it was perfect, but now it's fallen into disarray. The walls are weak, the floorboards creak, and the roof is close to caving in. But our trophies remain. Skulls of deer, bears, and Khajiit line the walls. I dawn my pitch black robes, gazing at my sister's remains. Our mother was a great leader, but Aeta was a terrific one. Ygfa kept us safe, fed us, and gave us all we desired as long as we pleased her. But Aeta bolstered our numbers, made us well-known across all of Skyrim (even now our story is spreading), and gave us the riches we deserved. However, our leader made one fatal flaw. She chose a wife she couldn't have. The Khajiit was below her station, unworthy of our attentions, and Rikke had already laid claim to her. My sister got to claim her wife, but not for long. The filthy beast escaped, returned to Rikke, and was protected by an army. I expected my sister to show better judgement, but she was persistent. Which has led us to this moment.

My sister led an attack on Whiterun. At first glance it looked like it would work, but once again Legate Rikke stopped our plans. She slayed our main force, and that filthy Khajiit killed my sister. I was lucky I managed to convince the legate to give me Aeta's skull. I swore to Rikke that when I became leader I would lead my brothers and sisters home, settle down, and never bother the legion ever again. The dumb bitch believed me, and returned Aeta's skull. I'd hoped there would be more of a body, but what we have will do. One of my brothers steps forward, shaking. He takes the child in his right hand, Aeta's skull in his left, and drinks the sacred liquid I give to him. I resume my place in the circle, draw my throwing knife, and begin to chant. The chant is spoken in the ancient Dremora language. I understand a few words, but not all of it. In essence we're begging whatever Daedric Prince has Aeta to let us communicate with her in exchange for this newborn's life. My brother holds the baby by the leg at arms length, giving me a clear target. When the chanting stops I throw the knife, the blade solidly landing in the baby's chest. He wails one last time before dying, his guts sliding from his body. My brother convulses, falls to the ground, and begins to spasm. We begin to chant again, blood beginning to spew for our brother's mouth._  
_

When the ritual is done I rush to my brother, the man occasionally coughing blood. I pat him and ask him, "Where is she?". He manages to tell me, "Mephala has claimed her soul. She is in the deepest part of her realm, banging at her cage. She saw me, and she wants out.". He coughs blood one more time, then dies. I groan, push the body to the side, and look at Aeta's remains. She wants to come back. I figured as much, but it's good to know she wants to. Some souls prefer death, but even from the grave Aeta still seems to be planning. And, we couldn't have a better prince to work with. Mephala enjoys messing with mortal affairs, tends to be generous to her followers, and won't demand something demeaning of us. My biggest fear was Aeta being taken by Molag Bal. Any priest would probably say she deserved that faith, and I agree. But it would be harder to get our leader resurrected. Now for the next step. We know our leader wants to return and what prince has her, but we need a body. Even a skeleton would do. I have one just in mind. I smirk, stand, and yell to my followers. Time to go get me a skeleton.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I slowly walk into Castle Dour, stacks of reports pilled on my desk. I groan, throw my sword to the side, and collapse in my chair. I try to focus on the words, but my mind keeps going back to my lover. What's she doing right now? Is she still in bed? She's been staying in bed almost all day every day (our children always complain, 'Mommy won't play with us. She never leaves your room.'), and that concerns me extremely. I've known soldiers who (after the war is over) stay in bed all day and night, then one day they snap and jump from a bridge. Nameless still haunts my wife. It looked like she was getting better, but now it's like she's gotten even worse than she originally was. I want to help her, but I can't. It's like she's in a locked cage where she can't see or hear me.

I can bang on the cage as much as I want, but this is a battle she has to fight alone. All I can do right now is offer her my help, console her when she needs it, and be ready to intervene if it gets too bad. I don't think it'll get to that point, but I need to be ready to help her at a moment's notice. I feel a burning in my stomach. I know exactly why my innards burn. The priestesses said I'm close to having an ulcer due to stress. They told me to take it easy, but I can't. And, I know exactly where all the stress is coming from. My wonderful lover back home. I haven't told her the truth about Nameless. She thinks she's still alive and walking around, but I know the truth. I killed Nameless, and she can never hurt my lover again. I sigh, put my head in my hands, and try to read my work. Hopefully that'll drive the guilt from my mind.

* * *

**Aeta/Nameless POV:**

I pace back and forth in my cramped cell, rage burning in my heart. Mephala isn't the best Daedric Prince, but there are worse princes to be taken by. I was saved from being raped by Molag Bal, beaten by Mehrunes Dagon, or driven insane by Sheogorath. My brother just recently sought me out, his presence a welcome relief. He was only here for a few seconds, but that was all I needed to know. To know at least a few of my followers are fighting to get me back. A few is all I need. I can't help smirking.


	2. Potions

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I'm lying in bed when Sissel finds me, her doll clutched in her arm. Lemkil (her puppy) is close behind her, his tiny little legs moving as fast as they can. I smile a little when I see her, the picture of innocence. My adopted daughter comes up to me, eyeing me warily. I can't say I blame her. I've hardly moved from bed since the nightmares have begun. I can bring myself to move occasionally, but when Rikke's gone it's like I have no energy to stand. Sissel suddenly climbs into bed with me, forcing one of my arms around her. I chuckle as she snuggles up next to me, Lemkil clawing at the covers. I allow the puppy under the blankets, the pooch instantly lying beside my daughter. Sissel has one arm around me and one around her doll, a small smile on her lips. I inwardly smile and ask, "Aren't you suppose to be at your tutor?". Her 'tutor' is a guard who is willing to teach her how to swing a knife. Sissel simple snuggles closer. She ignores my question, but asks me, "Why do you stay in bed all day?". I lie and tell her, "I'm tired.". My daughter huffs and says, "You're always tired.". I nod and explain, "It'll get better. I just need a little time to rest, then I'll be able to play with you and your sister all day long. How does that sound?". She huffs again and answers, "It sounds like what you told me last week. And the week before that.".

I pat her shoulder and tell her, "It was true last week. And the week before that. Just hang in there, I'll be able to play soon enough.". I hope. Sissel lets out a small sigh, then tells me, "Lydia says lunch is ready.". I nod and say, "Tell her I'll eat later.". Sissel instantly argues, "You always say that, but Lydia told me you never do.". I rub her shoulder and counter, "Lydia doesn't know that.". Sissel doesn't buy it, and keeps pressing the issue, "Britte and I want to eat lunch with you.". I groan, but Sissel lands the killing blow by saying, "Please, mom.". Damn her, she knows how to get me to do things. I slowly rise, my daughter excitedly getting up. She grabs her doll and Lemkil, then happily follows me downstairs. When I reach the dining room I find Lydia, Britte, and Jordis waiting for me. I inwardly chuckle when I remember Jordis was appointed as our housecarl. It's easy to say that Lydia wasn't too fond of that idea. The two originally bickered about who would do what, but they eventually worked it out. Lydia decided she would serve me, and Jorids resigned to serving Rikke. When I sit down to eat everyone looks at me, obviously surprised that I've decided to attend lunch. I ignore their stares and begin eating, but the meal taste bland and lifeless. I try to focus on the conversation, but it's hard. I can't say I'm upset when lunch is over.

I start to head downstairs for a nap, but Lydia catches up to me when I enter the basement. She grabs my shoulder, clears her throat, and tells me, "I was going to head to the bathing house. Care to come with me?". I'm aware that I haven't bathed in a while, and I suppose I could use a bath. I really wanted to take a nap, but I can see Lydia wants me to go with her. So, I nod and follow Lydia to the bathing house. It's the middle of the day and the bathes are extremely crowded, but Lydia and I manage to find an empty tub near the back. We both quickly relieve ourselves of our clothing and slide into the water, the cool liquid a relief from the spring heat. A few weeks ago I would have killed for a warm bath, but now winter has completely gone and left spring in its place. I sigh and relax, allowing myself to simply float in the water. I don't even realize I'm asleep until I feel Nameless climb on top of me. I scream and attempt to get away, and this time the results are instant. I scream, kick, and feel water enter my mouth. I sit up spitting water, Lydia at my side in an instant. I'm certain people are watching me in confusion, but a glare from Lydia sends them on their way. Lydia quickly guides me from the water, wraps a towel around me, and walks me out of the bath house. I'm coughing on water the entire time.

* * *

I nervously sit in the healer's waiting room, Lydia right beside me. My housecarl suggested I go see a healer about my night terrors, and I suppose it couldn't hurt. But we've been waiting for an hour, and the healer still hasn't seen us. When she finally does I'm shaking in nervousness, but I force myself into her room. I sit down in a chair in front of her desk, the Redguard sitting down across from me. She flips through a book, stops on a certain page (damn it, I still can't read well enough to tell what it says), and asks me, "What seems to be the problem?". I clear my throat and nervously explain, "It's a delicate problem. I can't seem to lie with my lover, she-". She interrupts by saying, "Oh, I know exactly what you need.". She flips around, grabs a potion, throws the yellow vial to me, and tells me, "Drink this an hour before sex and your cunt will be dripping by the time she gets you undressed.". I can feel myself blush under my pelt as I tell her, "It's more of a psychological aspect.". She hands me a purple potion and says, "Take this in addition to the yellow and you'll be begging her to fuck you.". Damn it, will she ever allow me to finish a sentence? I once again tell her, "It's not that I'm not aroused by her. It's just that, well, a few months ago while I was in Riften-". She cuts me off **AGAIN **by saying, "You were raped.".

I freeze and ask, "How did you-". She cuts me off once more by saying, "Your story is known throughout Skyrim by now. The legate that lost an eye, finger, toe, and purity to a nameless savage right underneath Riften.". I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. However, I don't correct her (I was far from a virgin when Nameless caught me) and tell her, "Back to my problem, whenever I try to lie with my lover I have flashbacks to what happened. And, when I try to sleep I have night terrors about what happened.". The woman clears her throat and ask, "Can you elaborate?". I quickly tell her the specifics of what happened. She nods in understanding, flips around, and hands me two more potions. One is orange and one is blue. She promptly tells me, "The orange one will make your tear glands dry up completely for twenty four hours, make your vocal cords unable to make the squealing noises of crying, and will make your cunt dripping. The blue one will make you sleep all night. Now, I'll need the other two back.". I hand her the two I don't need, pay her a ridiculous amount of gold, and leave. Lydia smiles when she sees me, and as we leave she asks me, "How did it go?". I look down at the potions in my hands and tell her, "Not good. Not good at all.". But I'll have to try. That's the least I owe Rikke.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

After dinner I head upstairs, planning on reading some scrolls before bed. But my plans almost instantly change when I'm in my bedroom. The Khajiit is lying in bed, and is on me the second I climb under the covers. Odd, she's never acted like this before. I pull back and ask her, "What's going on? This morning you were screaming because of night terrors.". She nuzzles my neck and answers, "I'm over it.". I pull her face away from my neck and tell her, "You can't just 'get over' a traumatic experience like that.". I suddenly remember the conversation we've had a thousand times. The Khajiit wishes to have sex with me, but not for the reasons she should. Multiple times she's apologized for not being able to fuck me. I've told her I couldn't care less, but it still matters to her. She keeps going on and on about how she isn't being fair to me. I'm not sure who told her that lovers have to fuck every single night they're together, but it seems to be deep-seated in her mind. I want her to lie with me because she loves me, not because she thinks she has to. The Khajiit in question looks shocked at my rejection and tells me, "I'm ready, please.". I shake my head and ask, "Are you truly? Lydia told me you went to the healer today, and she saw the potions you bought. There were labels on there that Lydia could read.".

I can see her eyes widen in horror, her plan caught. I give her a small smile to reassure her I'm not mad, and tell her, "You're a grown woman and can make your own choices in life, but this is by far one of the stupidest decisions anyone has ever made. Do you think this would have fixed your problem?". She shakes her head and mumbles, "No.". I raise her head to look at me and tell her, "It would have made a thousand more problems, and I wouldn't have known I was half of them. Now, do you want me to help you overcome your true problem?". She sighs and whispers, "I don't think that can be done.". I counter her words by saying, "You did it once before, and you can do it again. Now, what is your biggest fear right now? Tell me and I'll see if I can help.". My lover gathers her courage and tells me, "I don't think I did the right thing by sparing Nameless. I see her around every corner, hear her in every noise, and I swear there are times I think she's right behind me.". I close my eyes. Damn it. Damn it all to oblivion. I need to tell her the truth. I **_HAVE_ **to tell her the truth. She deserves to know, and I should have told her the second I did it. I clear my throat, open my eyes (so I'm looking right into hers), and tell her, "I have a funny story to tell you. You might not like it, but it's true and you need to know.".

* * *

The door slams behind me, Jordis at my side. I sigh, my pillow and a blanket in my hands. I slowly walk down the stairs, Jordis right behind me. My housecarl clears her throat and asks me, "Why are we not inside the warm, comfortable house?". I tell her, "Because I did something stupid and my lover needs time to cool off, then we'll discuss the problem like civilized people.". Jordis scoffs and tells me, "She left you.". I stop so the woman runs into my back, smile when she hits the ground, and tell her, "It's a lover's quarrel, nothing more. She's angry and doesn't want to mess anything up between us, so she sent me away while she calms down. When she wants to talk about it or let me back in the house, then she'll come and find me.". Jordis stands up and tells me, "You paid for the damn house!". I keep walking and tell her, "Yes, and I started the fight.". Jordis keeps following me, and observes, "You're looking at this in a very calm and controlled manner.". I nod and explain, "Overreacting would only cause more problems. I might have lost a little of my lover's trust, but we've been through too much for her to simply leave me. And, what I did might actually end up helping her. Now, enough talk.". I push my way into the inn, Jordis right behind me.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

I slowly stalk through the night, my blade drawn. The slow moving caravan is returning to Solitude, a train of merchants and oxen behind them. When they're settled for the night I go to work, slowly checking each tent. When I find one the suits my needs I step inside, make my way over to the crib, and gently pick up the baby. I hear a rustling off to my left, and when I turn I see a little boy looking at me. The goat skull over my head prevents me from being seen, but he could still wake his parents. I slowly raise one finger to the skinless goat's mouth, go '_sh', _and slowly exit the tent with the babe in my arm. When I'm away from the tent I turn and flee, the boy raising the alarm. But he's too late. By the time the villagers are rallied I'll be long gone. I rush into the night, my next sacrifice secured.


	3. Dreams

The babe cries as I place him in the middle of the circle, the blood shinning in the torchlight. My siblings gather around, prepare themselves, and begin chanting. When the time comes I raise my dagger, stab the wailing child in the gut, and cut up to his throat. When he's dead I feel a crushing presence enter my mind, pushing my thoughts into a cramped corner of my skull. I'm not sure what I expect when summoning Aeta's energy, but it wasn't this. My brother seemed to have 'seen' her, but I get a entirely different experience. I hear my sister snarl in my mind, "_What. Are. You. Doing?!_". I gulp and whisper (I'm not sure if my siblings can hear this) to my sister, "We need to get your energy use to the mortal plane, so when we summon you your new body doesn't simply explode. We found a skeleton but-". She cuts me off by growling, "_Idiot! Mephala will provide me with a new form once I return to this plane. My spiritual energy is of no concern for you, I need no preparation._". I quickly apologize and whisper, "I need to get your soul out of-". My sister once again interrupts me by snarling, "_If you want my soul out of Oblivion, then you shouldn't be talking to me! Mephala is the owner of my spirit, and she is the one you need to appease!_". I can feel the sacrifice wearing off, my sister being forced from my mind. She gives one last snarl, "_Idiot._".

I lean forward and vomit, but I don't die like my brother. The first contact with the depths of Oblivion is always the most dangerous, and it was a simple fact that my brother was going to die. I'm stronger than him, so it's no real surprise I survived. My siblings are surrounding me, some asking what's going on and others seeing if I'm okay. I manage to stand, the goat skull on my head not fitting right. I adjust it, stand tall, and yell so all of my temporary followers can hear me, "Our leader has spoken to me, and given me guidance in what to do. We must no longer look at her for answers, but to Mephala! We shall contract the Daedric Prince, offer the freshest sacrifices we can get, and please the prince until she bestows us with our rightful leader!". My fellows cheer, I remove the animal skull from my head, and I scream, "Now, let's get out there and get Aeta back!". The howl in the hall is deafening. I leap from where I stand and rush outside, my siblings trailing behind me.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I angrily pull the covers up to my neck, a scowl edged into my face. Rikke lied. Well, she didn't lie, but she let me believe a lie for months. I thought Nameless was out there somewhere, rubbing her hands together as she planned on ways to capture me. But Rikke killed her months ago, and didn't tell me. I told her I wanted to spare Nameless, but Rikke slayed her and let me think she was still alive. Who in oblivion does that?! I punch my pillow to fluff it up, and see the silver band on my finger gleam. When my pillow is fluffed I try to go back to sleep, but my anger at Rikke keeps me awake. I trusted her. I trusted her, and she just let me live a lie! I close my eyes, push the problems from my mind, and think soothing thoughts. I'm snoring within a minute. I'm surprised when my dream doesn't start with Nameless shoving her fingers into my cunt. I'm back in the gigantic caravan that marched to Riften, standing right beside my tent. I stick my head inside, but nobody is there. I shrug and begin to explore the camp. I see a fire burning in the middle of camp and quickly rush to it, afraid of a wildfire in camp. But the fire is simply the cooking pits. Three boars hang above the flames, but nothing else. Suddenly, I realize I'm standing on all fours. I spot a murky puddle by the fire and quickly trot over to it.

I look at my reflection and cringe, a one-eyed werewolf looking back at me. I hear a pop coming from the fire and I snap around, a single skull rolling from the flames. I walk over to the blackened bone, sniff it, and kick it to the side. I look into the depths of the fire and see thousands of bodies twisting and writhing in pain, their mouths open in silent screams. I back away from the flames, the blackened skull laughing as I scurry away from the fire. I go back to exploring camp. This is an odd dream to say the least, but it beats having nightmares. I sniff around the camp, and follow a scent that catches my attention. A goat is standing in the middle of nowhere, a dead billy near its hoof. It bleats at the sky, stamps its hooves, and occasionally stands on its hide legs to box the air. I begin to approach the creature, but when I near it the beast bleats and charges. I easily avoid the goat's horns, but scurry away. By now I'm aware I'm dreaming and can control where I go, but I have no influence on the area around me. The camp appears to be abandoned, but I find two puppies playing near a cooking fire. It's only as I draw near them I realize they're wolf pups. I bark to get their attention, but they keep playing. I bark again, but they keep ignoring me. Now I'm right beside them, and I let out a fury of barks right at them.

They keep playing, oblivious to me. I reach out and smack one on the back of the head, but regret it when they both run away yelping. I shake my gigantic head and turn to leave, but the rest of the camp is completely empty. I blink and wonder what I should do now. Can I go to sleep? Can I sleep in a dream? I'll give it a try. I collapse onto my side, but after a few seconds I feel something crawling up my leg. I look down and see a snake wrapping itself around my hind leg. I had a pet snake when I was a child, but I recognize that this kind of snake is extremely venomous. One bite and I'm done for. I lie perfectly still as it slowly coils itself around me. The creature is long, and manages to get its face right beside mine. I look into its familiar blue eyes as it hisses, the horns on its head covered in blood. The creature examines me and hisses, "_Soon._". It disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving me alone. I groan and flop back down, once again trying to go asleep in a dream. A barking alerts me to someone's approach, and when I look up I see a fellow werewolf. It has a bloody bone in its mouth, and offers it to me. This dream is weird (I frankly don't enjoy it), so I go ahead and decide to play along. My subconscious wants to give me weird dreams, and I've accepted that fact. I gnaw on the bone, the taste of human marrow familiar even after all these months. Eventually the dream fades around me. I can't say I'm upset.

Lemkil is licking my face when I wake up, his puppy breath stinking. I grab him by the scruff of the neck, place him on the floor, and sit up. I turn so my feet are touching the floor, my elbows on my knees. Lymkil barks and licks at my furry leg, urging me to get up. The dog has a fascination with me, but I'm not sure if it's because I'm a Khajiit or because I'm a werewolf. I pat his head and stand up, cracking my back. I head downstairs to breakfast, all of my strange family already gathered. Everyone looks at me odd, but they don't question me. For once I got a good night of sleep. My dreams were odd, but not nightmares. I suppose a part of that has to do with the fact I have nothing to fear. Nameless is dead and gone. I might not approve of what Rikke did, but I'll sleep a little sounder at night. It's like the time my mother revealed she was the 'monster' outside my window. In reality she was simply tapping on my window at night to frighten me. I had nightmares about bears and vampires for months, but the night I realize it was just my mother I slept like a log. I had nothing to fear, so I had nothing to have nightmares about. I spoon some eggs into my mouth, but nearly choke when Britte asks, "Where's mom?". I swallow the food and tell her, "Mom is going to be away for a little bit.".

Sissel asks me, "When will mama be back?". I put down my fork and consider when I'll allow Rikke to return. She's apologized, but I'm still extremely hurt by what she did. I suppose I'll forgive her if she does some sort of gesture to show she truly means she sorry. If she just lies around at the inn and waits for me to come get her, then I definitely won't go seek her out. So, I tell the children, "As soon as she apologizes.". Lydia suddenly asks, "Where's Jordis?". I roll my eyes and answer, "Probably with Rikke.". Lydia finishes her meal, pats me on the shoulder, and tells me, "I'm going to get a drink.". I wave goodbye, my mouth stuffed with bits of breakfast.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I slowly blink my eyes, the great hall around me filled to the brim with people. No. NO! Not after all this time. I try to stand, but when I look down I see two gigantic nails through my thighs. I'm not the hostess at this feast, I'm just a guest. I wait to be served, but feel vomit in the back of my throat as I look at the feast that's already present. Puppies ripped from their mother's wombs, boiled, and served. Their eyes aren't even open. A monkey's skull covered in gravy, his eyes sunken in to the back of his skull. Cobras dipped in their own blood, bull penises stewed, baked goat heads, boiled rat tongues. And, the most terrifying course is everywhere. Human. Babes, maids, men, and the elderly. Boiled, fried, poached, cooked. I want to scream, but manage to hold it in. That is, until my hostess arrives. She's a Dremora straight from Oblivion. Cloven feet, red legs covered in rat like fur, the cunt of a woman, the cock of a tiger, and a long, forked tail. The woman's (I think it's a woman, it has tits) torso is human, besides the fact it's red. Well, half red.

From the left shoulder to the right hip the skin is red, but the rest is white. The two colors meld like paint, blending with one another. Her left arm is extremely muscular, and its hand has long, black claws. The creature's other arm is completely human. I gulp when I notice it has a pair of matching arms right underneath its dominant two. I gulp and look up at the creature's head. I scream even louder, trying to break free. Six goat horns sprout from her skull, a wolf's snout is where her mouth should be, her ears look like bat ears, her once blonde hair is now black and like a lion's mane, her skin is red, and her teeth have turned into fangs. But I know who she is. I remember her eyes. Nameless. She smiles, revealing her fangs. She offers me a slice of the main course, my lover's head. I want so badly to vomit, but I can't bring myself to. The demon that I killed on top of Dragonsreach laughs, and when I look up I see her forked tongue through her grin. I barely have time to think before she's lunging at me.

* * *

I wake up with a stiff back, and I get a splinter when I stand up. Serves me right. My poor lover has been having nightmares for a month straight, and last night was the first time I had one (recently). It was terrifying, like those feast dreams I had so many moths ago. For a while it seemed almost real. I dig the splinter from my foot, dress, and head down to the bar. I hear two people bickering, and when I look over I see Jordis is one of them. I groan and walk over, and realize the person Jordis is fighting with is Lydia. I break the fight up and snarl at Jordis, "What's going on?". She looks ashamed as she tells me, "Lydia said that her Thane won't come and apologize to you, she said that you have to apologize to her. I said that her Thane would break first and come find you.". I roll my eyes, turn to Lydia, and ask, "Is that true?". She nods, snatches her ale, glares at me, and storms out of the inn. I sigh and tell Jordis, "At least I know what to do next.". My housecarl snorts and says, "You can't be serious.". I respond by saying, "Like a heart attack.".


	4. Apologize

I carefully pick out the flowers, trying to remember what the Khajiit likes. Jordis is complaining about how I shouldn't have to apologize, but I ignore her and grab some roses. I toss them at Jordis and tell her, "Hold these.". She complains about the thorns, but she manages to hold on to them. I pick out a lute, play a few notes, and decide to take it. I'm not going to sing, but a few pretty notes can go a long way. Finally, I stop by the market and pick out a few sweets. I quickly walk back to the house, the sun shining down on the city. I try to open the door, but it's locked. Nobody answers my calls, but I'd know if they were out. So, I quickly walk over to our bedroom window. I know it's going to be a cheesy thing to do, but I have to do it. I grab a few pebbles and throw them at the window, cursing when one of them shatters the glass. My lover is instantly at the window, scanning the ground in anger. She sees me and I swear I can hear her sigh from down here. I wave, she glares, and Jordis catches up to me. The Khajiit asks, "Is this your way of making up? Breaking windows?". I've obviously woken her up from a nap, I know that tone of voice. It's one I often hear when I've woken her up by groping her. I'm aware if I say something rude I'll only make it worse, so I tell her, "It was an accident, I didn't mean to break anything. I came to apologize.".

She doesn't say anything, but I can see her ears perk. I snatch the roses from Jordis, ignore the thorns poking my skin, and throw them to the Khajiit. She catches them, I can see the tiniest of smiles appear on her face, and she disappears for a few seconds. When she returns she says, "I put them in a vase of water.". That doesn't surprise me, the Khajiit always loves romantic gestures. She even reads a few romantic books and scrolls. Unfortunately for her she decided to love me, and she's learned that my romantic side is almost dead. So, she'll probably hang on to the flowers for a little bit. Jordis opens her mouth to say something, but stops when I 'accidentally' kick her in the shin. I don't want her messing this up. I take out my lute and start playing her favorite song. _Tale of the Tongues. _She absolutely loves the song, and it's a simple melody to play. I slowly begin to sing, completely terrified. I'm not a bard, I can't sing worth crap. But she likes the song, and I _need _to make this up to the Khajiit. "Alduin's wings, they did darken the sky. His roar fury's fire, and his scales sharpened scythes. Men ran and they cowered, and they fought and they died. They burned and they bled as they issued their cries. We need saviors to free us from Alduin's rage. Heroes on the field of this new war to wage. And if Alduin wins, man is gone from this world. Lost in the shadow of the black wings unfurled. But then came the Tongues on that terrible day. Steadfast as winter, they entered the fray. And all heard the music of Alduin's doom. The sweet song of Skyrim, sky-shattering Thu'um. And so the Tongues freed us from Alduin's rage. Gave the gift of the Voice, ushered in a new Age. If Alduin is eternal, then eternity's done. For his story is over and the dragons are...gone.".

The Khajiit is lazily leaning out the window, a look of content on her face. I take a few steps back, prepare myself, and run at the stone side of Proudspire Manor. I leap, scrabble up a few feet, and lash my hand out. My fingers graze the window sill, and that's all I need. I curl my digits, dig my feet in, and manage to hand onto the window. I heave myself up so I'm face to face with my lover, toss my lute down to Jordis (ignoring her yelp of pain), and ask the Khajiit, "Forgive me?". She looks at the ground near her feet, considers what I've done, and tells me, "It's going to take a while for you to earn my trust back, but I'll forgive you.". She sheepishly looks up and grabs my face. I smile into the kiss. It's a sweet one, not one that will lead to anything else. I don't even notice my fingers slipping. However, I do notice my lips popping away from my lovers, and the cold ground slapping me on the back. I slowly sit up, my spine on fire. I look up and see the Khajiit's worried face, her ears pinned back against her skull. She motions at the door and yells, "I'll open it for you.". I nod and manage to stand up, slowly walking towards the door. When I'm inside the Khajiit is waiting for me, shyly smiling. She walks over, wraps her arms around me, and sweetly kisses me again. I can't help trailing my hand down her back.

She pulls away from me and warns, "Rikke.". I laugh it off and tell her, "Just checking.". She rolls her eyes and asks, "Checking for what? Are you making sure my ass is still attached?". She nuzzles my neck with her nose and tells me, "Trust me, it's still there. Not a single person has touched it in your absence.". I let out a small chuckle and tell her, "Nobody better have. It's only been a few hours.". I can practically hear her roll her eyes again as she says, "I would never do that to you. One fight doesn't mean the end of our relationship.". She suddenly stops nuzzling my neck and asks, "Why did you do it?". I know what she means and tell her, "You have to understand. If she had come after me, then I wouldn't have cared. But she would have come after you, and I can't allow that to happen. I know what you went through, and I didn't want you to go through that again. And, there was a good chance she was going to die from her wounds. I didn't want you to have her death on your conscience. She deserved to die, I was just doing my job.". She whispers, "What's your job?". I lift her chin so she's looking me in the eye and tell her, "Defend the weak, stand firm in my affirmation, and grant justice to all.". She slowly leans in, once again trapping my lips in a kiss. I smile and return the affectionate gesture, my heart racing.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

I go down the line of people, checking each one on my list. One virgin, one babe, one man, and one elderly man. Good, all of the sacrifices are here. I put on my mask, start a fire in the middle of the circle, and tell my siblings to chant. I yank the people over one by one, tying them to stakes near the flames. I wait until the fire is going, then begin to lower them to the fire. The old man silently weeps, the babe screams in confusion, the man begs for his life, and the virgin curses me until she can no longer speak. I step back and begin chanting, the familiar feel of oblivion grasping my mind. When all the sacrifices are gone I hear someone in my head whisper, "_Who dares disturb me?_". I nervously swallow and carefully address Mephala, explaining the situation. She hums for a few seconds, then tells me, "_In Whiterun my Ebony Blade remains unclaimed. Travel to Whiterun, take the blade, and fill it to its full power. Then, I shall return your beloved sister to you. Be warned, she shall forever have the taint of my realm on her._". The presence quickly leaves, but I'm prepared. I stand, explain the situation to my siblings, and tell them, "What the oblivion are we waiting for?! Let's get Aeta back!". My siblings scream and carry me out of the hall, the skulls of our prey smiling down upon us.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

When I wake up I smile down at my wife, her furry head nuzzled into my chest. I wake her up, stand, and start getting ready for work. I'm surprised when I look over and see her putting on her legate armor, but don't question it. I've missed having her at work, and I'm glad she's up to the challenge. When we're ready I turn and offer her my hand, smiling when she takes it. We say goodbye to the kids, pet the dog, and say goodbye to the housecarls. We're not even to the square when we run into trouble. Three guards are using their swords to corral a man in the way they want him to go. I drop my lover's hand, draw my sword, and march over to them. I scream, "WHAT'S GOING O-". I nearly scream when the man turns around, his body terrifying. Large lumps cover his body, his eyes are red, his mouth is leaking blood, and his face is swollen. I instantly back up, the sick man advancing on me. However, before he can reach me one guard puts a sword through his neck. The Khajiit drags me away from the body, helping me up. She manages to ask, "You okay?". I nod and tell her, "Fine, fine.". We walk on, the infected corpse behind us.


	5. Aeta

When we're inside Castle Dour my lover ask, "What was that?!". I know exactly was it was. A disgusting follower of Peryite, come to spread the 'blessing' of the prince. Solitude is often targeted for followers of the daedric princes, but we haven't been attacked in over twenty years. The last attack was by followers of Mehrunes Dagon, they threw flaming barrels at our gates. However, they were taken care of by a few good men and a few fine arrows. Peryite is a more resourceful prince. Dagon wants to spread pain and suffering, while Peryite wants to spread sickness. It would be one matter if we had found the infected man outside the city, but he was on the inside. I don't know how many people he's touched, things he did, or areas he's been in. Even now his dead body could spread the disease he had. And, there could be more infected on their way. I know all of this, but the Khajiit doesn't. I don't want to worry her in case it ends up being nothing, so I tell her, "He was just a sick peasant, nothing more.". My lover calms down and tells me, "What should we do?". We should barricade the city, warn the guards to kill any infected that come close to the town, have everyone gathered and examined, throw out the sick, and clean up the city. However, I still don't want my lover to worry about it. So, I tell her, "I'll take care of it, just relax.".

She looks absolutely relieved, and leans over to peck my cheek. I smile and tell her, "Come on, we need to get to work.". I take her to the office I've set up near the war room. I examine the map as I pass, every flag a blood red. A sense of satisfaction fills me as we enter the office. The war is won, I have nothing to hide from my lover, and she seems far less troubled than she was. Everything is going wonderfully, and for once we can relax. I hand the chestnut Khajiit some papers and tell her, "Just read these over. If you agree that we should do what it says, then stamp it with your seal and put it in one pile. If you disagree with it, then tear it to shreds and throw the pieces away.". Her face suddenly falls and I tell her, "I know it's not exciting, but it needs to be done.". She shakes her head and explains, "It's not that. I still can't read.". I completely forgot about that. I started giving her lessons a few months ago, but the war stopped that. Well, looks like I found something important to do. I push our desks together, clear off a small space, and motion for my lover to sit down. When we're both seated I take out a letter (it says something about cows), and place it in between us. I tell her, "Let's start slow, we need to see what you remember.". She slowly pronounces the letters she knows, occasionally a full word (strangely, she seems to know my name right away).

I clear my throat and ask her, "How come you know my name instantly? I didn't think we reached 'R'.". She looks extremely embarrassed as she answers, "I asked Lydia to teach me what your name looks like, so I would know if I ever got a letter from you.". I can feel myself smiling as I lean over, kissing the woman in between the eyes. I return to my seat and resume teaching her how to read. It's somehow calming to teach her the simple skill of being able to read. She still has to move her lips (and occasionally say a word out loud), but she knows a handful of common words. If we were still at war I wouldn't give her any written orders, spies could simply look at her lips or offer to read it for her. Thankfully, we aren't at war (although the Altmer are becoming restless), so I have time to teach her. After a while I can tell she's getting frustrated with the lesson, she keeps accidentally pronouncing 'R' when it should be 'P'. The writer's scripture is wispy, so I can understand how that would be frustrating for a new reader. I put the letter away, rub her hands with mine, and tell her, "You've done a wonderful job. Now, we need to get to work. Would you like to help with the letters, or would you like to go count the weapons we have?". She takes the later job. I smile as she walks away, her head held high. She can't read, but she can count up to fifteen. Thankfully, she won't have to count the arrows. And, she'll probably grab a soldier to write the numbers down. I scoot my chair up to my desk and go to work, pride swelling in my chest.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

My siblings cheer as we walk back into the hall, my ebony blade held high. They're cheering and screaming as I put the weapon onto the makeshift altar (I had the young ones build it while I was gone). Once the blade is on the altar, I grab one of my siblings and stab him. I can see the confusion and hate in his eyes, but I ignore it and shove his bleeding corpse onto the shrine to Mephala. Instantly, my mind is attacked. "_So, you fulfilled my bidding to the letter. Now, what is it that you desire?_". Without thinking I tell the prince, "My sister Aeta returned to us.". Mephala hums and says, "_Very well. Present me with some part of your deceased sister, and I shall recreate her in my image._". I quickly grab my sister's skull and place it on the altar. Mephala suddenly leaves my mind, but the skull on the altar catches fire. My siblings and I quickly back away, watching in awe. The skull slowly rises in the air, a skeleton of fire holding it up. A low scream and multiple people laughing can be heard, but I ignore the voices. The skeleton of fire slowly materializes, becoming solid red bone. The skeleton slowly moves its arms, examining its hands with eyes it doesn't have. Six ram horns begin to grow from the skull, three on each side (they get smaller the farther back on the skull they are). The fire seems to grow redder._  
_

Two extra skeletal arms appear near the base of the rib cage, long enough that they have the same range as the normal arms. Slowly, the muscles appear where they're suppose to be, followed by organs, veins, skin, and so on. However, occasionally Mephala seems to take some creative license. She gives my sister cloven feet, red legs covered in vermin like fur, the cunt of a woman, the cock and balls of a tiger, and a long, forked tail. Aeta has the torso of a human, besides the fact it's red. Well, half red. From the left shoulder to the right hip the skin is red, but the rest is white. The two colors meld like different colored paint, blending with one another. Her left arms are extremely muscular, and the hands are long, black claws. My sister's other arms are completely human. However, he head is what's the most changed. Along with the six goat horns that sprout from her skull, a werewolf's snout is where her mouth should be, her ears look like fox or bat ears, her once blonde hair is now black and like a lion's mane, the skin on her skull is red, and her teeth have turned into fangs. The fire dies away and my sister opens her mouth, the roar of a demon echoing through the hall. Between her rows of razor sharp teeth I see a long, barbed tongue. When my sister is done roaring she snaps her jaws shut, looking around the hall at us.

She blinks, then her empty black eyes lock onto me. She grins and motions for me to come to her. I gulp and nervously walk up to my four armed sister, her tail whipping back and forth. When I reach her I nearly scream as she reaches out to me, but her hand simply ruffles my hair. I can feel her claws scrape my skin, but I ignore it. My sister stands tall, stops whipping her tail, clears her throat, and begins to speak. Her voice is rumbling, seems to come from all around me, and seems to fall and rise in deepness. For some reason I think that if a god spoke, then it would sound like her. "My brothers and sister, I would like to apologize to you. I brought us great glory, but got distracted along the way. Accept me as your leader, and we shall know the riches of kings and queens. We shall never starve in the winter, we shall never have to fix our ruined clothes, and we can walk as lions among sheep. Follow me, and all of your heart's desires will be fulfilled!". The people were already planning on following her, so her speech lights a fire in them. My sister grins, waits for the screams to quiet down, then raises my hand in the air. She once again speaks, "Sarieh has brought me back, and now she shall claim her reward! I deem Sarieh as my second in command!". The crowd starts cheering, but I feel my wrist begin to burn. I pull away and look down at my hand, the skin blistering and turning red. I also notice my nails are becoming longer and black. The pain is like my hand is being lit on fire, forced into a bucket of acid, and pissed on. I fall to my knees and scream, my claws digging into the floor beneath me.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I kiss my wife goodbye, and she quickly goes inside our house. I smile and walk away, pleased with how the day went. My wife counted the weapons, I took care of the request from the citizens, and she learned how to write a new work (the word was _fuck_, but I'll teach what NOT to write later). However, now I need to deal with the present situation. I go to the Blue Palace, storm into Elisif's room, and tell her what I'm going to do. The queen's advisers are out, so she simply makes her own decision and approves. I go down to the city gates, grab the gigantic war horn, and blow it. The guards instantly go to work. They collect any citizen outside the walls (there's a stable and the docks), begin dragging in food, setting up water supply systems, and locking up the city. I look around at their work and nod. Damn, they actually remembered what the horn was for. I put it up, motion for three guards to come over to me, and tell them, "If you see a sick person approach the city, kill them. If a sick person is in the city, throw them out. If they fight, then kill them. Tomorrow we're rounding up all the citizens in the courtyard to check for disease. If you see a fellow guard looking sick and not leaving the city, kill him. Spread the word. Understand?". They all nod and rush away. I grin at my own work, then head back home.

* * *

I climb into bed, my lover snuggling up into my arms. She asks, "What was that horn for?". I explain it to her, but leave out the details that would reveal that a sickness is what caused all of this. When I'm done speaking she nods into my chest and tells me, "Vittoria Vici is getting married soon. Would you like to go?". I shrug and tell her, "Maybe.". She snuggles up closer, sighs in content, and tells me, "I'm one lucky woman.". I snort and ask, "Why?". She lets out a small chuckle and tells me, "I have a wonderful lover, two growing daughters, a pet dog, a large house, two housecarls, a great job, and I live in one of the safest places on earth. It's like every dream of mine has come true, but it's even better because you're with me.". She leans up, kisses me, snuggles back up, and goes to sleep. So, Vittoria Vici is getting married. I don't really care, but it does make me thing about something. I've heard people talk about the fact that we're unmarried and clearly fucking. I couldn't care less what the people say about me, but I nearly killed someone when I heard them talking about my lover. And, my lover has always talked about how she liked the thought of marriage. But there are advantages to being unmarried. She could leave me if she wanted, we wouldn't have to pay for the wedding, and I wouldn't have to take the chance of being rejected. No, I'll just settle for being her lover right now. Maybe in the future if the opportunity presents itself. I yawn, put my mind at ease, and go to sleep.


	6. Whores and Underpants

**Aeta POV:**

I slowly walk up to Ygfa's throne, the stone seat still standing strong. I'll still adjusting to my new body, but I'm getting use to it. My legs are longer and stronger than they use to be, so I'm forced to change how I walk. Plus, my knees are facing opposite the normal direction, and that creates a whole other challenge. Finally, I arrive at my mother's throne and take my rightful seat. My sister is still flailing about on the ground, her arm now red and her nails now claws. It'll take a few hours, but eventually she'll be just like me. Well, almost. She'll lack the extra arms, horns, and tail, but she'll still be a frightening sight. One of my horns suddenly itches, and I raise my hand to scratch it. However, I notice my lower arm also rises with it. I take a few seconds to work with my lower arm, and find it somewhat of a challenge to move it individually. I suppose I'll master the skill in time, but for now I simply allow my extra arm to do what it pleases. I scratch my horn, then look at the people gathered around me. They're all waiting with bated breaths, wondering what I'll do. What will I do? I still have the yearning to come into power, smash Rikke's skull into a bloody pulp, and reclaim my wife. However, there's something different. A patience I never had in my mortal life. An acceptance that my wife won't suddenly disappear into thin air if I don't have her.

And, deep down I feel a cunning that I now know I never possessed in life. I can't help smiling, my siblings starting to look concerned. They're probably wondering if I'm stupid now that I've been resurrected. Time to put their minds at ease. I once again clear my throat and announce, "I suppose it's time to get to work. How many of you can work?". Someone clears their throat and answers, "Six hundred.". Damn! That's a shitload more than I had originally had. I do a quick little bit of math in my mind (Mephala must have invested a lot in me, in my mortal life I could only count to three), and tell my siblings, "Fifty of you start rebuilding the castle. Replace our wooden walls with stone walls, a defensive wall made of stone, wooden floors outside and inside, make a wall of spikes on top of the defensive wall, dig a twenty foot moat thirty feet deep, and add a second story.". I turn to a experienced brother (I know he helped Ygfa build the original castle) and ask him, "Got all that?".

When he nods I tell him, "Good, you're the head builder. Grab fifty men and get to work.". He once again nods, then scurries off. I turn to a sister and tell her, "Grab fifty men and start gathering food and water.". She nods, and when she's gone I turn to another sister and tell her, "Take a hundred men and start training them to fight defensively. Sword, spear, and shield.". I point at a sibling near the back and say, "Take a hundred men and start training them in healing.". I point at one of my brothers and tell him, "Grab two hundred and fifty men, teach them how to overtake a city. Sword, shield, spear.". Finally, I point at one sister and tell her, "Take fifty men and train them to hold political power.". They all scatter, leaving me with the young, old, and wounded. I made sure to point out experienced siblings, so they should know what to do. I sigh, settle into my seat, and close my eyes. It's good to be a ruler.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I wake up, my lover wrapped in my arms. I smile, sneak out of her arms, and get dressed for the day. She wakes up and asks me, "Are you ready to go to work?". I instantly freeze. I don't want my lover anywhere near the main area of Solitude. And, we're going to check for infected people today. I don't want her to have to see that. So, I tell her, "We don't need you today, can you stay with the kids? We have some stuff going on today, and I don't want them exposed to it.". Her face darkens, and I know she's thinking about an execution. She nods and tells me, "Okay, I'll be at home all day. Alone. With only the thoughts of my lover to warm me.". I roll my eyes, she's done this before. My lover is trying to guilt me into staying home and telling everyone I was sick, but I can't do that. If I was a legate I would honestly consider it, but I'm a general now and I have responsibilities. So, I pat her leg and tell her, "Goodbye.". She rolls her eyes, but tells me, "Goodbye, be safe.". As I leave the house I notice a chill in the air. Damn it. The fancy wizards up at the College of Winterhold have told us spring has officially started, but there are still days that are surprisingly cold. Thankfully, I know for a fact that winter won't be coming anytime soon, it's too warm. I brush off my thoughts of spring and begin walking, the guards already rounding up citizens. I see a dead body on the street, lumps all over her body. I sigh, today's going to be a long day.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I slow down my horse, Solitude a shining city above me. My sister rides up beside me, her eyes trained on the sun overhead. She's been like this since we left, she's terrified we'll get caught. Sarieh (now fully demonic) tells me, "I thought you were going to leave your wife be.". I chuckle and tell her, "I am. No rape, no visual contact, and no kidnapping. I'm just planting some seeds, and I'll harvest them later.". My sister snorts and tells me, "You'll get caught.". I laugh and tell her, "No I won't, I won't be seen. Now, hold my horse.". I dismount and throw the reins to Sarieh, my sibling cursing me. I ignore her and walk towards the cliff the city rests on, digging my claws into the stone. The docks were for some reason abandoned, so we were able to ride right by them. And, I don't have to worry about being seen from there. So, I simply yank myself up, kick my hooves into the stone, and grab onto the stone a few feet above my head. A human would have no change at scaling this sheer cliff face, but it's easy for me. I smile when I think of the sight I must make, a six armed demonic woman climbing up a cliff like a spider. When I reach the city I carefully position myself, so no guards can see me from the wall. I'm not sure how I knew where my wife was, but I did. I seem to know where everyone of importance is. Seems Mephala wants me to be up to date on what's happening.

When I reach the area of the city I want I quickly scale the wall, check for guards, and scrabble down the other side. I sneak into the back of the whorehouse, sounds of pleasure coming from inside. I climb onto the ceiling, and scutter down the hallway. I occasionally peek inside a room. This place is truly disgusting, what whorehouse leaves the doors open? I see more old men cocks, diseased cunts, and wrinkly tits than I would care to admit. I'm considering tearing my eyes out when I find a room I'm looking for. A man and woman are going at it for all they're worth, the woman slamming down onto the man like she's mad at his prick. But that's not what I came for, it's the underpants on the ground. Specifically the woman's underwear. It's not the usual sack underpants that the women of Skyrim wear, they're definitely whore underwear. They'd barely cover anyone's cunt, they're a bright red, and they have frills around the edges. I silently drop from the ceiling, balance on my feet and hands, check to make sure the couple is still fucking, and snatch the underpants. I tie them around one of my legs (it suddenly occurs to me I'm naked), jump back up onto the ceiling, and scutter outside. Damn that was easy. I quickly flatten myself to the ground, check for guards, and run to my next destination. When I arrive at my wife's house I nearly get caught, my wife and her children leaving. However, I quickly leap into a barrel and watch them walk by, barely resisting the urge to grab my wife as she passes, slam her to the ground, and rape her in front of her children.

They head towards the market, each child holding one of my wife's hand. Bitch. I quickly go up to my wife's house, crack open the door (who the oblivion leaves their door unlocked?), and crouch down. I hear two people talking (more like arguing) downstairs, but I ignore them. I almost trip over a dog, but manage to catch myself and start climbing upstairs. When I finally reach my wife's room I sigh in relief. I made it. I quickly untie the whore's underpants, and consider where to put them. I decide to just leave them on the floor, and mostly under the bed (like someone tried to hide them, but you can still slightly see them). I smile, dig through my wife's closet, grab a gigantic cloak, and put everything back in it's place. I root around in their dresser, find a piece of paper, a quill, a ink pot, and quickly write a note. I smile at what it says.

_Emergency. General Rikke's wife bedridden and ill, Rikke come at once._

It's not much, but it'll do. I mess up the bed, put the cloak on, adjust it so I'm unseen, and go outside. I manage to find a guard, shove the note in his hand, and tell him, "Get that to the general. Now!". He runs off, clearly afraid. I smile, drop my disguise, and run over to the city wall. As I scuttle up and over I think I hear someone running past me, but I'm not sure.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I burst into the house, the dog barking as I run past him. I was overseeing the checking of citizens when a guard found me, and handed me a note telling me my 'wife' was ill. I'm not sure who wrote the note (or who thinks my lover is my wife), but I'm thankful to whoever did. If my lover is so sick she can't leave bed, then I want to be there with her. I rush upstairs, but stop in confusion at the sight before me. No sick lover, no bedridden Khajiit, and no sign of illness. I was terrified she'd come down with the plague, but she isn't even in the house. I grow angry, who the oblivion writes a fake letter? However, my anger goes out and confusion takes over when I notice our bed is messy. I walk over, touch the bed, and grow even more confused when I find it warm. Why the oblivion is it warm? Then, I notice a little bit of red under the bed. I kneel down, fish around under my bed, and pull out a pair of frilly underpants. My heart seems to stop beating, fear gripping the deepest part of my being. My wife's hips are too large for these, there's no way one of our daughters wears this kind of underpants, Lydia and Jordis don't ever come in our room, and these definitely aren't mine. Suddenly, I remember what my lover said earlier. "_I'll be at home all day. Alone. With only the thoughts of my lover to warm me._". I tell myself my lover would NEVER seek the comfort of someone else, but is it possible she had more than thoughts to warm her? I hear the door open and close, the voices of our children coming up the stairs. I guess I can find out.


	7. Accusations

I find my wife downstairs sitting at the dining table, sipping a mug of beer and reading a report from Markarth. She's probably just looking at the words and trying to piece together what they mean, she's still struggling to read at a child's level. Even Sissel and Britte can read better than her. However, the woman stops when I drop the underpants on the table in front of her. She puts the scroll down, angrily yanks it back up, and tells me, "I'm **NOT **wearing those.". Well, that wasn't what I expected. I sit down across from her and explain, "I found those in our bedroom.". The woman puts the report to the side, examines the frilly underpants, tosses them back on the table, and says, "Fine, burn them.". Once again, not what I expected. I further explain, "I want to know where they came from.". The Khajiit shrugs and says, "Probably some whore.". I'm getting frustrated (although I'm not sure why), and demand, "I want to know who put them there, why they were there to begin with, and what whore wore them.". My lover looks extremely confused and tells me, "Lydia or Jordis probably had company over, it's not our place to question them.". I rub my temples and tell her, "They have beds of their own, why would they use our bed? And, why would they do it without asking?". My lovers eye's widen, then narrow, and she tells me, "Their beds are crap, and not even a whore would want to fuck in them. Are you insinuating that I put them there?".

I calmly tell her, "All I know is that I was away all day, you were going on about how lonely you were, and I found those under **OUR **bed. Lydia and Jordis exclusively like men, and they know better than to fuck in our bed. Sissel and Britte are too young to even know how to have sex, they wouldn't wear something like this, and they wouldn't place them there. That leaves you and the dog, and I don't think the dog wears panties.". My lover closes her eyes, takes a few deep breaths, and calmly says, "Let's question Jordis and Lydia before one of us says something we both regret.". She yells for the women, and the housecarls arrive within seconds. I show them the underpants and ask them, "Did either of you have company or wear something special?". Jordis slaps Lydia's shoulder and says, "Looks like you couldn't keep it in your pants.". Lydia slaps her hand away and snarls, "I don't wear those, and I wouldn't fuck anyone who wore those. It's obviously you.". Jordis glares and denies, "They aren't mine. They must be yours, you just got so drunk you forgot to put them back on.". The two instantly begin fighting, but stop when I slam my fist on the table. I close my eyes, inhale, exhale, and tell them, "That's all I need to know. Leave.". The two sense something is going on, and make themselves scarce. Probably best.

I open my eyes, turn to my lover, and tell her, "They wouldn't lie. Why were the underpants there?". She flattens her ears against her skull in anger and tells me, "I would never touch anyone but you. The girls must have found them somewhere and thought they were ours.". It's worth a try, so I call the children down from their room. The girls can feel something is going on, and slowly come down the stairs. When they reach us I show them the frilly panties and ask, "Do you know what these are, and how they got under our bed?". They both shake their heads and I ask, "Are you telling the truth?". They both quickly nod, and leave when I motion for them to go away. I turn to my lover and question, "Would you like to ask the dog if he knows where they came from?". She glares at me with her one remaining eye and snarls, "I don't know where they came from.". I once again rub my temples and beg her, "I just want to know who she is.". The Khajiit slams her hands onto the table, her nonexistent claws digging into the wood (I nearly forgot her claws were removed by Nameless). She hisses and tells me, "I **AM NOT **having sex with anyone but you!". I take a immature dig at her which I instantly regret, but I can't take it back. Without thinking I snarl, "You haven't even done that in months! You cry every time I even touch your tits!".

I see hurt and resentment fill her one good eye, and I quickly try to backtrack. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-". She cuts me off my saying, "I know what you mean.". She sighs, closes her eye, opens it, and yells, "LYDIA! Pack the things, we're leaving!". I reach out for her and tell her, "Please, don't go. I-". She roughly stands, glares at me, and hisses, "When you're ready to act like a mature adult, then I'll be at the inn. Until I come back, you can go fuck yourself.". I can see tears prick in her eyes as she says, "Like I never do.". She flips around and roughly stomps away, knocking the chair over as she does. I hold my head in my hands, but look up when I hear someone walk by. Lydia stops to look at me, a child clinging to each of her hands. She shakes her head in disgust, then yanks the children after her. I groan and place my head roughly against the table. What have I done? My lover would never cheat on me, she's always held adulterers in low regard. We might not be married, but the Khajiit considers us just as close. It took a song, flowers, and a lot of apologies before she forgave me for lying to her. What can I do to make up for accusing her of cheating? I have a few ideas, but it'll take a kingdom of gifts to make it up to her. And, I'll have to act soon. I sigh and stand up. I may as well start getting ready, I'll be making it up to her for the rest of my life.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I smile and scuttle down to wall, my cloak fluttering around me. I had to go tell my sister to head back home, but I managed to return in time to watch what I created come to play. I pull my cloak more closely around me, and begin tailing my wife. Sarieh would disapprove of what I'm about to do, but I have one last seed to plant before reaping my reward.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I collapse into a seat by the bar, look over to Lydia, and tell her, "Take the kids outside to play, no child deserves to watch their parent lose their mind to drink.". My housecarl nods and solemnly takes the children outside, both of them looking over at me questioningly. When they're gone I place a large bag of gold onto the counter, and the man slides me the first drink of the night. I pop the top and chug it, ignoring the burning in my throat. When that's done I toss the bottle to the side, the glass shattering on the wall. The bartender looks less than pleased, but doesn't say anything and simply hands me my next drink. I'm not sure how many bottles I drink, but eventually the bartender shakes his head and tells me, "You've had enough. I'm not sure what memory you're trying to scrub away, but killing yourself with drink isn't the solution.". I flatten my ears, hiss, and stumble to a table in the back. I pick up a piece of bread that was laying on the table, and desperately tear into it. My stomach is filled with beer, and I want to cushion the hangover tomorrow. Suddenly, someone in a robe sits across from me. The person holds out another bottle of beer in offering. I snatch the alcohol and chug it down before the person can take it back, the bartender shaking his head when he looks over and sees me. Fuck him, I need this. It's not every day your lover accuses you of fucking some whore in your own bed.

When the beer is gone I throw the bottle to the side, and place my head on the table. The cloaked figure rises, walks behind me, and begins massaging my shoulders. I moan in relief, but ask the strange person, "What are you doing?". The figure chuckles and tells me, "Simply giving a beautiful woman a well-deserved massage.". I scoot my chair forward a little and tell her, "Scram.". The cloaked figure quickly says, "Oh no, you misunderstand what I mean.". The figure once again begins touching my shoulders, working the tense muscles free of knots. I should tell her to get lost, but it feels amazing and I'm drunk. When my shoulders are relaxed the figure moves back to the seat, and offers me a yellow potion. I warily eye it, but the figure quickly explains, "A potion to prevent a hangover.". I keep eyeing it and tell her, "Young girls have fallen for that before, and ended up pregnant.". The figure tells me, "Fair enough.". It puts the potion into the hood of its cloaked body, I hear a swallowing sound, and the vial is a little less full. She once again offers it to me, but I shake my head and the person lets the matter drop. I close my eyes, but open them when the cloaked figure asks, "Why is a woman as gorgeous as you in a place like this? Don't you have a husband back at home?". I feel tears prick my eyes, but I rub them away and tell the figure, "It's nothing.".

The figure reaches out and cups my cheek in comfort, then tells me, "A woman like you doesn't come here and get drunk just because she can.". I should knock her hand away, but I can't bring myself to. It's nice to have some comfort at this time, the gods know I won't be getting any from Rikke any time soon. I quickly tell the figure, "I'm missing a eye, finger, and toe. I could be drinking to forget the memory of how I lost them.". The figured shakes its covered head and tells me, "This are just the scars of a wonderful fighter. You wouldn't be drinking to forget these.". The figure slowly trails its thumb over to my missing eye (I took my glass eye out when I came home, but forgot to grab it on the way out) and I close the lid. The thumb runs over my closed lid, then retreats and the figure apologizes, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries. I just admire a self-made woman like yourself. In a world as cruel as this one you made something out of yourself, and from the looks of your wounds you made yourself a proud warrior.". I flip my lid up and tell it, "You didn't overstep any boundaries. Thank you.". The figure nods, then asks, "Can you tell me why you're here?". I shrug and tell it the story of Rikke, and I'm nearly crying by the end of it. But I suddenly stop when the figure leans over, somehow catching my lips in its own without me seeing its face.

It pulls back, slams its fist on the table, and tells me, "I'm sorry, this situation just angers me. A woman as stunningly beautiful as you shouldn't have to worry about a suspicious spouse. If I were 'Rikke' I would never had accused you of cheating on me. I'm sorry, I'll leave.". I quickly tell the person, "No! You didn't do anything wrong, you just misunderstood. Please, sit down.". The figure's head seems to move as it eyes me up and down, then the cloaked person says, "If we're going to continue this, then I want to go to my room.". I know exactly what 'go to my room' holds in store. I shake my head and explain, "Rikke thinks I'm a cheater, but that doesn't give me the right to fuck random people in bars.". The cloaked figure extends a hand and asks, "It doesn't? You're a kind, wonderful, smart lover, yet Rikke accuses you of cheating. Why not prove her right? If you regret it in the morning, then it's lucky for you I'm leaving the city tomorrow. If you don't regret it, then rub Rikke's face in me before I go.". If I was sober I would realize how screwed up that logic is, but I'm not sober. I take the person's hand, and allow the cloaked figure to take me to its room. The room is barely lit, and when I'm inside the person locks the door. I begin stripping, but the person says, "I'll only relieve myself of my clothes, make love to you, and touch you in the dark. You must swear not to use your ability to see in the dark. If you do, then I promise you that the results will be messy.". I nod and agree.

The figure blows out all the candles, and I hear it drop its cloak when the lights are out. I feel two hands begin to gingerly play with my tits, and I can't help asking, "Are you a man or woman? I don't believe you ever introduced yourself.". The figure lets out a small laugh, and I feel something slap against my thigh. However, the figure says, "I suppose you can say I'm,". The figure pauses before saying, "special.". It removes its hands from my tits, brings one hand to the thick cock between its thighs, and one hand to the hefty tit on its chest. I clear my throat, unsure what to say to the hermaphrodite. However, the woman (I go ahead and decide to refer to the figure as a woman, it makes it feel a little less strange) doesn't want me to say anything, she simply moves my hand up and down her cock. I hiss when I feel barbs bite into my hand, and tell her, "You're a Khajiit.". The woman hums and asks, "What makes you say that?". I easily answer, "Khajiit are the only people with spiked cocks.". The woman once again hums and asks, "Can your cunt take it?". As long as I'm sexually aroused the experience should be pleasurable, and I can feel that I'm soaking wet. So, I tell her, "Easily.". Before I can say anything the woman easily heaves me into her arm, and I feel myself coming to rest on the fluffy bed. Within seconds someone is on top of me.

I expect her to simply pound into me, but instead she flips around. I feel her spread my legs, and her tongue go to work. Lapping, licking, and sucking whenever she gets the chance. I gasp in pleasure and spread my legs wider, the woman pinning my hips to the bed. I feel two hands begin playing with my tits, but simply brush it off as my drunken mind. However, the swinging cock that hits me on the face is realer. The woman is simply pleasuring me, but the slight movements cause her penis to sway. It hits me on the cheek once again, but this time I reach up and grab it. I bring my other hand up to rub her furry leg, and decide I should do something to her. She's doing a mind-blowing job at licking my cunt, so it's only fair I should suck her cock. The spikes mean I can't take her down the throat, but I can simply use my mouth. I point the prick to the side, licking up the length of it. My cat like tongue has thin hairs on it that somehow aren't painful, but seem add to the experience. The woman above me freezes, then desperately thrust her dick downward. I begin pumping the organ, avoiding the spikes. The woman lightly thrust into my hand, and I lean up to reach her sack. I gently take her balls into my mouth, sucking on them while I still pump her shaft. I feel her tail hit me on the head as it lashes back and forth, and hear a _thump _as her foot hits the wall near my head. Damn, she must really like this.

Having her balls in my mouth is far from enjoyable, but the feel of her lapping at my cunt is worth it. However, I reconsider when she yanks back, then thrust her hips forward as she lets out a deep moan. She releases her seed in four short bursts, aiming specifically for my chest. I sigh at the feeling of wet fur, and notice the woman's cock is still as hard as ever. The only other 'man' I've ever had sex with was my ex-husband, and that was years ago. Besides, his cock became soft almost seconds after what he called sex. My thoughts are cut off by the woman flipping around and spinning me onto my hands and knees, two hands on my shoulders and two on my hips. I once again brush it off to my drunken mind, focusing on the monster that's lining up with my entrance. I'm wet and open, but the cock is still a tight fit. I hiss and adjust my hips as it slides into me, the woman's balls coming to rest on the top part of my cunt. The stranger leans forward and asks, "Ready?". I nod, and the woman goes off like a jackrabbit. Her hips slap again mine, her balls hit me repeatedly, and her spiked dick scrapes against my walls with every thrust. It only takes a few seconds before I'm throwing my head back, a animal like roar ripping from my throat. I collapse, four (four?) strong hands holding me up.

I'm not even using my muscles, just dangling there as the woman behind me fucks me like she hates me. Finally, the woman screams at the top of her lungs (damn, she must want the dead to know what we're doing), and feel the woman's cock swell and grow even harder. I don't feel her load enter me, but I feel it begin dripping out. I almost forgot what that feels like, and am instantly reminded of why I love fucking Rikke (I never have to wait for her seed to drip from my cunt). Oh gods. Rikke. My muscles are instantly restrengthened by my shame, and I manage to free myself from the woman's hands. She instantly asks, "What's wrong?". I begin searching for my clothes, and as I slip them on I tell her, "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry I lead you on, but I'm leaving. I have a wonderful lover back home, and having sex with you was a mistake.". She doesn't say anything, but I hear the sound of flesh against flesh. Is she touching her cock? Some people are unbelievably disgusting. And I'm one of them, I just cheated on my wonderful lover. While I dress I feel the woman's seed staining the inside of my underpants, so I quickly take them off and throw them to the side. Finally, I rush out of the room, down the stairs, and outside the inn. I only have time to scream as I run face first into Rikke, both of use tumbling to the ground.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I smile as I watch from the window, Rikke and my wife colliding and struggling to stand up. I smile, grab a potion from my bag, and swallow it. The mirror hanging from the wall shows a Nord woman, the cock between her legs the only oddity. A grin splits my face as I dress, grab my wife's underpants, and begin heading downstairs. Time to raise some oblivion.


	8. Lydia's Advice

**Rikke POV:**

My lover crashes into me, tears welling in her one good eye. I help her up, the flowers in my hand crushed. Damn. When we're both standing I clear my throat and tell her, "I'm sorry, I brought you-". She cuts me off by saying, "Stop.". Tears are rolling down her cheeks as she whispers, "You were right.". It takes a second to register in my brain, then I drop the flowers. I take a deep breath so I don't end up making a public scene, look at the ground, and whisper, "Who?". The Khajiit opens her mouth to answer, but someone interrupts us. A stunningly gorgeous, tall brunette is standing in the doorway of The Winking Skeever. In her hands she's holding my lover's underpants. She starts to say, "You forgot your-". She notices me and asks, "Is this a bad time?". I feel myself begin to glare, and I hear myself snarl at the woman, "Leave.". Her eyes lock with mine, and I see a challenge in her muddy gaze. However, she breaks first and disappears into the tavern, my lover's underpants still grasped in her hand. I already felt hurt and betrayed, but the feelings only became worse when I saw who my lover had fucked. A young, gorgeous, and unscarred woman. The exact opposite of me. My heart has already been shattered into a million pieces, but it's like the Khajiit has pounded it into a fine dust. Speaking of which, I return my attention to her.

I clear my throat and tell her, "I believe we have nothing more to say to each other.". I turn and storm out of the city, my lover yelling and chasing after me. I manage to evade her, and make my way down to the docks. The city was suppose to be locked down, but I suppose a general and legate can go wherever they want. I grab a case of wine from the stand on the docks, and do to the edge of the pier. I sit down with my legs dangling inches above the water, and pop open a bottle of wine. I'm on the third bottle when Lydia finds me, sitting down beside me. She snatches a bottle and tells me, "Good to know you didn't slit your own throat.". I snort and tell her, "No woman is worth my life.". Lydia swallows some wine and says, "People have killed themselves over smaller things.". I ignore her and keep drinking, but Lydia clears her throat and asks, "When will my thane and I be leaving?". I answer, "You don't have to leave, it'll just take some work for us to move past this. I hope.". Lydia nods and says, "Obviously storming away from your lover and getting drunk is the first step.". I snarl, "Nobody asked your opinion.". Lydia rolls her eyes and counters, "I've been in both of your shoes, and I know running away doesn't solve your problems. Getting drunk won't revert the Khajiit to her untouched stage. No matter what you do, she still cheated. You can either accept that and work past it, or keep trying to rub away the memory. I'll give you a hint, only one works.".

I'm getting angry, and roughly tell the woman, "You're a housecarl, what do you know of love? How did you even know what was going on?". Lydia's eyes seem to harden and she says, "You two were so busying fighting you didn't notice Britte and Sissel watching you. The only reason my thane isn't down here is because she's comforting two crying little girls. They're terrified you two are going to split, and that they'll be left on the streets. Now, time to address what you said about me not knowing love. Before becoming a housecarl I had a life. I know, surprising. I cheated more than once and was cheated on multiple times.". I drop a bottle into the ocean, put my head in my hands, and asks, "What do I do?". Lydia shrugs and answers, "Ask yourself one simple question. Do you want to stay with the Khajiit?". When I nod she continues, "Then you need to start working. You can shove the woman away as much as you like, but eventually you'll shove her into the arms of her adulteress.". I rub my temples and ask the woman, "What did you do when you found out someone cheated on you?". Lydia sighs and says, "I shoved him away, and ended up regretting it. Eventually he got over me, and I was planning on taking him back when I thought he learned his lesson. Turns out rejecting someone causes them to want to leave you. I'm not saying just take her back in a instant, but at least talk to her. You didn't even give her a chance to apologize. I know it doesn't mean much at this point, but it's something. And, it helps both of your consciences".

I scoff and say, "The Khajiit apologizes, then what? Okay, come back home even though you had sex with another woman.". Lydia groans and tells me, "Yes. If you can't be around her, then you're going to keep fantasizing that she's cheating again. You work, live, and do everything around her. If you can watch her all day every day for a few months, then your mind will be put at ease. Then, you can get onto the real work.". I dread what Lydia's going to say, but admit, "I suppose it would put my suspicions to rest if I could keep a close eye on her, just for a while. What's the real work?". Lydia throws her empty bottle into the ocean and answers, "Not acting like a asshole around one another. It's going to take months before you get your relationship back to where it was, and you can't shut her out and become cold towards one another.". I groan and question her, "What am I suppose to do? Just start chatting about the weather?". Lydia shrugs and asks, "What did you talk about before?". I cringe and answer, "How much we loved each other, personal problems, and reading.". Lydia grasps onto my answers and says, "Do something romantic.". I toss another bottle into the ocean and tell her, "No.". Lydia reaches over to slap my head, then explains, "I know what's in the back of your mind. What did she do with that woman? Obviously she fucked her, but what else did she do? Dinner? A play? Drinks? You'll never know, and I don't suggest asking. It only makes it hurt more.".

"Just let her back in the house, but make it clear you don't approve of her actions and she needs to earn your trust back. Then, throw yourself into work with her, teach her how to read, and take her out to do something you both enjoy. Rebuild trust, try to forgive her for fucking up, and don't gnaw on the issue like a dog on a bone.". I nod, stand up, and help Lydia to her feet. As we walk back to the city I ask her, "How did you become so smart on issues like this? You're only half my age.". The housecarl sighs and tells me, "I didn't grow up wanting to be someone else's sidekick. I had hopes, dreams, and aspirations. People courted me, I fell in love, had fights, got drunk, and did everything everyone else did. Housecarls have a life before we give ourselves over to someone else.". It suddenly hits me that Lydia is a living person who was born and raised, not just a servant that appeared out of thin air. I clear my throat and ask, "Do you ever regret becoming a housecarl? Do you ever want to be freed from your job?". Lydia's eyes cloud over as she seems to stare off into the distance. She puts a hand up to her cheek and whispers, "Not a housecarl. I never thought about that. I like my job, but there are times a wish I could just go visit other cities without my thane's position.". Her eyes focus and she tells me, "Enough about me, I think we need to focus on you. Come on, you got a relationship to fix.".

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I slowly walk down the path, my hooves clattering against the stone. The potion wore off a little bit ago and now I'm in my full demonic form, but I couldn't care less. I just got to fuck my wife without her screaming 'rape' in my ear, attempting to kick me in the gut, crying, or yelling for Rikke. A grin splits my face as I remember Rikke storming away from the Khajiit, leaving her a weeping mess in the middle of Solitude. I was tempted to see if I could fuck her again, but her children arrived and the moment was lost. Speaking of which, I was rather saddened by how Rikke found out. It would have been so much sweeter if she had walked in on my wife sucking my balls or licking my cock, but then my secret would be blown. Maybe after I've claimed my wife fully I'll force Rikke to watch us fuck. But I'm getting ahead of myself, right now I need to focus on getting home. However, as I walk something draws my attention. I threw my cloak away long ago, and now my still unsheathed cock is ready to have sex with something. As I walk I gingerly reach down, forcing the bone back into the skin case. It easily slides back into place, but some of my seed dribbles onto my hand. Disgusting. I wipe it on my furry leg, my mountain lion's penis now back in place. I have to admit it was a pleasurable experience fucking my wife like only a man could. I'll have to do it more often. My elbow itches and I quickly scratch it, continuing to walk to my home as my plan falls into place.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I sit on my bed, my bags packed. Rikke will be home any time now, and she'll probably tell me to get lost. I suppose I deserve it. What sick fuck cheats on her wife a few hours after they have a fight? I didn't even know the woman who fucked me. I hear the door open, and a hand settles on my shoulder. Without looking back I tell my lover, "I'll leave when you want me to.". A deep sigh, then she tells me, "Don't bother going, I'm not leaving you.". My heart momentarily forgets to beat, my entire being frozen in happiness. Rikke ushers me into a standing position and flips me around to look into her eyes. She continues, "Don't think that I forgive you, what you did was **NOT **right. However, I'm willing to give you another chance. It'll take months before I trust you again, but that's the price you have to pay. You made your bed, just consider yourself lucky I don't make you lie in it. Now, I believe there's one important thing you need to say before we start down the long path of healing.". Tears are pricking my one good eye, but I'm not sure if it's because I'm happy or ashamed. I manage to whisper, "I'm sorry. I'm so so so so sorry. I'm sorry I knowingly made the biggest mistake of my life. I had a choice, and I fucked up. You didn't deserve that, and for that I'm sorry.". Without even thinking I lean forward, trapping the woman in my arms. Rikke freezes as solid as stone, then mutters, "Damn you.". I feel her arms wrap around me. It's not much, but it's the first step in earning her trust and gaining her confidence. Rikke once again sighs, pulls back, and tells me, "Come on, we better tell the kids we're not splitting up.". My lover pulls away and begins walking out of the room, and after a moment I quickly follow her.


	9. Rorlund

**Aeta POV:**

When I arrive home I'm pleased to see that my siblings have cleared the yard of mud, and are starting to go around and free it of foliage. Soon enough we'll have the wood floors I demanded, and the base of the stone walls aren't looking bad either. When I enter Sarieh is the first person to greet me, her hooves clicking on the floor. As I walk to the throne she tells me, "I have some numbers written down. Might I ask why you have so many politicians and healers?". I sit down and ask, "You have a better idea?". She nods and tells me, "I think we need to add some new groups to our list. Farmers, scholars, some more builders, a few more warriors, and a scarce amount of recruiters.". I idly examine my claws and ask, "Where do you suppose to get these numbers?". Sarieh pulls out a piece of paper with numbers on it, and tells me, "We can cut eighty healers and forty politicians. So, you'll only have twenty healers and ten politicians.". I stop examining my claws and tell her, "No. We need those numbers.". Sarieh sighs and explains, "Politicians aren't important, we can snatch those from the cities. Besides, you seem to be a dictator. And be honest, would any adviser truly tell you something you didn't want to hear? Now, healers are more important, but not that much. We can once again snatch those from the cities. However, I suggest we have the twenty remaining healers train the elderly and young. So, you'll have the same amount of healers, if not more. What do you think?". I scratch my chest, thinking about it.

I question Sarieh, "What are the groups you want to add those numbers to? Explain them to me.". My sister quickly answers, "The farmers are self-explanatory, I suggest we set a small part of our land aside to plant. The scholars would be people who gather, write, and learn about history, and eventually they would write down our story. It would be a unbiased account for the generations. You made the builders and warriors, but I thought a few more could get them moving faster. Finally, the recruiters would go from town to town in secrecy, whispering of gems and jewels that await anyone who joins their cause. When the new recruits arrive we can train them.". I'm considering it, but I have one last question. "How many men would go to each group?". Sarieh goes some quick math, and answers, "Twenty four in each group evenly.". I tap my fingers on the throne, then command Sarieh, "Do exactly as you said, that sounds like the best plan. However, I want you to handpick the recruiters. They need to be smart, they can't draw attention to themselves, and they need to be sneaky. Can you do that?". Sarieh nods and tells me, "I'll get to it at once. Now, what do you want me to do with the infirm? Shall I revive your old policy of execution or banishment?". My claws dig into the throne as I snarl, "I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that. Now, get to work!". Sarieh quickly scuttles off, the paper still clutched in her hands. I groan and lean back in my throne, rubbing my temples. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

A scream stops us from reaching the girl's bedroom. In an instant we're both bounding down the stairs, our swords drawn. Lydia is in the living room, Sissel in her arms. Britte is off to the side, but both girls are crying. Lydia looks at us and says, "Outside.". We both head outside, and cringe at the sight. The guards have separated the infected from the clean, and are leading the sick from the city. Men, women, and children are walking out in a giant herd, lumps on all of their bodies. I shake my head, then tell my lover, "We better head down to the town square, the infected will be handed their supplies and kicked out.". My lover nods, following me to the center of Solitude. The supplies we give each person are medical supplies, enough food for a week, and a single iron dagger. It's not much, but it's all we can give them. When we reach the square I find a place for us to sit, my lover putting her sword up. She may feel safe, but I keep my sword at the ready. I never know what's going to happen. Finally, the people arrive. Shambling, limping, and some even crawling. I can't tell if it's from the disease or from exhaustion, they were forced to stand for hours while they were being sorted. The people are gathered in the square, guards surrounding them like sheepdogs. They throw the supplies at them, terrified of their disease.

I expect the people to simply be thrown out, but the procedures are thrown off by Rorlund, Freir, and Silana Petreia rushing to the square and hopping onto the raised platform. I inwardly groan, these three religious nuts can't be here to simply say a prayer and leave. I've no problem with the religion of the nine (I was actually quite devout and one time), but these three take it to a new level. It also helps that they've publicly announced that the Khajiit and I are sinning for multiple reasons, and they keep attempting to turn the town against us. The Khajiit and I both stand, my lover now drawing her weapon. We carefully walk towards the platform, avoiding the sick. Rorlund clears his throat and begins to preach, "When the nine are displeased they send sickness unto the land. Solitude is riddled with those who knowingly live their lives against the gods, and you poor innocence have been swept up in the punishment. Come forth and I shall cleanse those who wish to be freed of sickness!". One man hesitantly comes forward, his body twisted and covered in signs of his sickness. Rorlund drags him onto the stage, and protrudes a whips from his robes. My lover, multiple guards, and I are rushing towards him, but we can't stop him in time. Silana and Freir hold the man down, and Rorlund begins mercilessly whipping the man.

A guard tackles him, I yank the two women away, and my lover has turned into her werewolf form. Damn, I almost forgot she could do that. I'm not sure why she did it until she snarls at the sickened man. He's hurt, but none of us can touch him. However, the snarling werewolf convinces him to struggle back to his group. It may seem cruel and unneeded, but my lover's werewolf form will instill order. The two women in my arms are fighting, and Rorlund is screaming. I hand the woman over to a guard, and walk over to the priest. He snarls at me, "I have a right to practice my religion! That man willingly stepped forward, you can't do this!". I hate that he's right. I snarl at him, "Give a damn speech, then go the oblivion back to your temple and yell at the sky.". Rorlund looks smug as the guards release him and his family. He clears his throat, draws the attention of the sick, and begins to speak, "As you can see, the sin is among us! Human taking beast as lovers, woman lying with woman, the spawn of Hircine roaming our streets. Choose who to follow. I apologize to the sick, for it is because of our rulers you are being punished. Even now Elisif sits upon her throne, monsters whispering in her ear. And, it is plainly clear what our dear Legate Rikke is doing. Taking a _female werewolf _as her unmarried lover.".

"Mara commands that woman shall not lie with women for it is a sin!". I look over at my lover, and she quickly shrugs her shoulders. I've never heard that, but I haven't read the commandments in years. Rorlund continues, "Rikke has sinned greatly, yet she shows no remorse! She continues to allow a unmarried, beast race harlot live in her home! Worse yet, she's taken her as a lover!". My lover is peeling back her lips, and I reach over and pat her. No reason for my lover to go to jail. Rorlund scans the crowd as he yells, "Kynerath has made the Khajiit for the Khajiit, the Altmer for the Altmer, the Nords for the Nords, and so on and so forth. Crossing the strands is a sin we can't abide! And, Rikke's filthy lover is a werewolf, accused follower of Namira, and I haven't seen her in the temple once! Legate Rikke as twisted and contorted this young woman to her wishes, using her as a simple sex slave.". I chuckle a little under my breath, and my lover lets out a small gurgling sound that I assume is laughter. Rorlund glares at us as he keeps going, "Even now the two stand among us, their lust overtaking them! They speak during my preaching, it's a miracle they are not mating to reveal their disgusting behavior.". I look over at my lover, the werewolf looking back at me. I can see the mockery in her eyes, and lean over and whisper, "I think he has a point, we should stop groping each other in the middle of his speech.". I've made better jokes, but we both still laugh. Rorlund leaps on our laughter and yells, "Look! Even now they mock the gods!". We both quickly shut up, the seriousness of the situation suddenly occurring to us.

"Our dear legate has clearly turned her back from the gods, and Elisif is soon to follow. Society may approve of what Legate Rikke and her unmarried lover are doing, but I do not! Now, for those of you whose health is fine, then I beg you to join me! I shall lead the way to a new world, all you need do is follow. If you demand more proof, then I shall give you all you desire. It is known that General Tullius died of sickness. Why did a man like him become so ill? He was a lying, unfaithful, bast-". He can't finish his sentence, my elbow connecting with his ribs. Rorlund screams as I attack him, rage boiling in my very veins. I feel someone yanking me away, and see Silana and Frier carrying Rorlund away. I flip around and see my lover in her beast form, sadness in her eyes. We both know why I attacked him. Not because of the accusations about us (we accepted he hated us a long time ago), I attacked him because he criticized Tullius. I motion to the guards and scream, "**MOVE THE INFECTED! i DON'T WANT A SINGLE SIGN OF SICKNESS IN AN HOUR!**". The guards quickly go to work, the infected screaming and begging as they're thrown out of the city. I see healthy people grasping for their sick family members, the guards the only thing stopping them. A mother grasping for her children, a boy screaming for his father, two twins trying to reach each other, and a mother screaming for her babe. There are a thousand other stories, but I can't find it in myself to watch them all. With a heavy heart I whisper to my lover, "Go. End this.". She nods and leaps at the crowd, roaring. I plug my ears, a deep sadness grasping my heart. Even with my blocked ears I hear the screams and cries of fear, and the roaring of my lover. I plug my ears tighter, trying to drive out the sound.


	10. The Crusaders

I'm trying to block out the noises, but the pained roar of a werewolf bleeds through. I quickly unplug my ears and spin around, taking in the scene. A citizen is clinging to my lover's back, a dagger in the werewolf's shoulder. I don't even realize how angry I am until I have her pinned to the ground, my fist connecting with her face. How dare she attack my lover! I might not be pleased with the Khajiit , but I still love her. I only stop punching when I feel someone tugging on my leggings, I pull back and see my lover is the one who's stopped me. I nod and get off the woman, pushing her towards the infected. She refuses to leave the city with them (she isn't sick), but a roar from my lover sends her fleeing. Actually, it sends quite a few people fleeing, and I can even feel my heart picking up its pace. I yank the knife from the werewolf's shoulder, pat her back when I hear her yelp, and tell her, "You'll have to work on that, imagine how useful a roar like that would be in battle.". She offers no answer, simply snarling at a slow sickened person. When the infected are gone I look around for casualties, and can't find any. There's only one wound, but that's my lover's shoulder. It'll heal up soon enough. I give a few commands, then tell my werewolf companion, "Come on, let's go home.". She nods and trots beside me, occasionally sniffing the air. Our trip is uneventful, but something is going on near our house.

We see the smoke before anything, and begin running. My lover is much quicker than me, and arrives at the house before me. She scrabbles at the wooden door, unable to open it. I go and bang against it, but it refuses to open. Finally, my lover lowers her head, backs up, and charges. The wood shatters around her skull, but my lover falls to the ground. I step around her, the werewolf slowly getting up. I hear a yelling from the spare room, and burst in to find Jordis tied up. She's still fighting to free herself, but she's coughing badly around the gag in her mouth. I cut her lose, the woman running away as quick as she can. I hear a roar from upstairs, and make my way up to the second story. The smoke is so heavy that it burns my eyes, scratches my lungs, and itches my skin. I cough a few times, forcing myself to keep going. The entire level is one fire, our dog standing on the table. Damn it, the girls will kill me if I let him die. I leap across the flames, snatch the dog up, and leap back. My metal shoes are melting, but my feet aren't burned. I throw the hound downstairs, the beast yelping as he runs away. Finally, I rush up to the top floor. The fire hasn't spread this far, but the smoke is thick enough that I can't see. However, I can hear a commotion. I stumble into our room, and draw my sword at the sight I manage to see through the smog. Sissel and Britte tied up, my lover caught in a net, and a figure on our bed.

He's wearing a typical outfit of a Crusader of The Nine, but that group was destroyed during The Oblivion Crisis. However, I don't have time to think about that as he lunges at me. I slash at him, but he nimbly leaps around me and out the door. I want to kill him, but my family is of bigger importance. I cut the rope holding the girls, pushing them towards the door as I scream, "Go! Go!". They both run as quick as they can, Britte practically dragging Sissel. I can only hope they don't run into the figure. I fall to one knee, coughing. I force myself up, and cut the ropes holding my lover. She doesn't move. I shake her, but she doesn't even twitch. I roll her head towards me, her eyes blankly gazing at nothing. Oh shit. I put my head to her chest, her heart barely beating. What in oblivion happened?! She's only been in here a few minutes! I keep shaking her, the werewolf's breathes hardly raising and lowering her chest. I grab onto her arm, and begin yanking. The woman hardly moves. I yank up on her arm, forcing her on top of me. Finally, I position her like she's a pelt across my back. I'm barely able to stand, but I somehow manage to. I close my burning eyes, my lungs roasting inside my body. I take one step, then another. I mentally count in my mind, heat licking at my feet as I walk on the second level. Breathing is becoming difficult, and I suddenly lean forward and vomit.

Damn, I need to get out of here! I see a light ahead of me, and I think I'm on the bottom level. One step, two steps, three steps. Finally, clean air rushes into my lungs. I fall to the side, my barely breathing lover falling off of me. I hear someone speaking, but it takes a few seconds before I understand their words. I look up and see Jordis standing over me as she yells, "Where is Lydia?!". I weakly shrug, and the woman curses before telling me, "She was tied up near the Arcane Enchanter!". I groan and get to my feet, but Jordis is back in the house before I can fully stand. I fall down on my ass, Jordis bursting from the smoke with Lydia in her arms. She throws her fellow housecarl to the ground, putting her head to her chest. Jordis curses, and leans forward to kiss Lydia. The sight is so strange that it takes a few moments before I realize Jordis is giving Lydia the kiss of life. Britte and Sissel are crying, both of them looking at Lydia's body. After what seems like an eternity, Jordis pulls back and pushes Lydia to the side. The once dead housecarl violently vomits, the children crying in joy at her awakening. I flip over and crawl to my lover, feeling for a pulse. It's faint, but it's there. She's probably just passed out from smoke, the best thing for it is fresh air. Suddenly, the guards arrive, all of them screaming at the burning house. I'm lifted into the air by a few sets of arms, but the world is blurring and I feel myself slip into unconsciousness.

* * *

I slowly wake up, a healer shining a flame into my eye. I smack her hand away and force myself to sit up, looking around. We're in The Blue Palace, surrounded by healers. Lydia is groggily awake on a bed to my right, Jordis holding her hand. Good to know the two seem to be getting along a little better. Suddenly, I feel two weights leap on me. I'm panicking, then I hear their cries of, "Mom! Mom! Mom!". I let the children hug on me a little, then push them off. They both stay by my side, but don't crawl all over me again. I look to my left and see my lover in her regular form, but she's still unconscious. I slowly get off the bed, my weak legs shaking. I manage to stumble over to her, checking for a pulse. Nothing. I'm about to panic, then the tiniest beat occurs. I send a prayer of thanks to every god whose name I know. A healer rushes up to me, forcing me back onto my bed. I allow it, but ask her, "What happened?". She nervously gulps and says, "Your servant had better tell you.". Jordis heard 'your servant' and is over in a minute, pushing the healer away. Jordis motions for the children to go away, but tells them, "Don't play outside! And, watch that dog of yours!". They scurry off, their hound happily bounding after their heels. Lydia shakily gets up, walks over, and leans on Jordis for support. I expect my housecarl to push the other woman away, but instead she wraps her arm around her middle and supports her weight.

Lydia clears her throat and manages to croak, "Want me to tell her?". Jordis shakes her head and says, "You can answer some of the questions I'm sure she'll have, but I'll tell her the story.". Lydia nods and I snap, "Someone tell me what's going on!". Jordis swallows nervously and begins, "We heard the sick being driven from the city, but we didn't do anything about it. We didn't even think about the fact all the guards were busy. Solitude is such a safe place, we didn't even bother locking the doors. I'm truly sorry for the destruction of your home, I failed as a housecarl.". I snarl, "Tell me faster!". Jordis nods in understanding and starts, "Someone knocked at our door, I thought it was just a salesmen trying to get rid of some fruit or something. When I answered it five people forced their way into the house, all of them dressed in the garb of The Crusaders of The Nine. One of them subdued each of us, including the dog. They tied the girls up in your room, Lydia near the enchanter, and me in the spare room. They just let the dog run free, but one of them kept saying she'd like to kill it. They poured oil, placed bear fat, and threw rags all over the house. Four of them left, but one remained with a torch. He kept going on and on about 'cleansing sin' from Solitude. He stated the kids are the children of two sinners, so they'd grow up to be sinners and didn't deserve to live. He said Lydia and I served you two, so we needed to be 'cleaned'. He kept rattling off your sins, they were-".

I cut her off by saying, "Taking a female Khajiit who's a werewolf as a unmarried lover?". She nods and says, "Bingo.". I feel my insides tighten in anger and tell her, "I know who did this.". Lydia's eyes shimmer in pity as she tells me, "The talk of the entire town is that Rorlund had some of his devout do this, and even Elisif thinks it's true. But we can't arrest him.". I practically snarl, "What!?". Jordis pats Lydia's hand and explains, "We didn't see the faces of the crusaders, and the guards didn't find any uniforms in the temple. We may not like to admit it, but he still might not have done it. I highly doubt he's innocent, but we can't just arrest whoever we want.". I begin fighting to get up and snarl, "I killed someone who tried to rape my lover, and I killed a woman who _did _rape my lover and tried to take over Whiterun! I'll kill Rorlund myself if I have to.". Jordis coughs and points behind me, and when I turn I find Elisif glaring at me. The queen rubs her temples and tells me, "You can't. Rape and genocide we can prove, we can't prove this. I'm sorry Rikke, but if you do something illegal I'll have to punish you like a normal citizen. Please, just calm down!". I snarl, but tell her, "Fine! But if I see Rorlund take one step in my house, I'll rip his head off.". Elisif nods and says, "You would have all the right to, he'd be trespassing. Now, I have one more matter. A,". She coughs, "note was found nailed to your door.". She offers it to me, and I snatch it from her hand. I read it as quick as I can, my eyes scanning the page.

_The Crusaders of The Nine are watching you, and we don't like what we see._

_You sin in the darkness of night, fucking your whore until you both collapse._

_You feed your children sweet lies, assuring them they aren't parentless bastards._

_You have your servants do your bidding, never working for yourself._

_You laugh at the one true religion, ignoring the commandments laid out for you._

_We are the rays of light in the darkness.  
_

_We are the protectors of holy men and women._

_We are the hands of the gods._

_We are The Crusaders of The Nine._

_And we are coming for you._

I crumple up the paper, throw it to the side, and snarl, "Bring me my sword!". Elisif instantly says, "It's no use, the guards have searched all of the city.". I groan and ask, "Have 'The Crusaders' done anything else?". Elisif nods and says, "They've sent notes like this to anyone who isn't a Nord, whoever prefers people of the same sex, and anyone who isn't a follower of The Nine. And, they beat up three citizens, burned down two houses besides yours, killed three citizens, and hung a guard from the gates of Solitude.". My eyes widen and I ask, "Why in Oblivion hasn't something been done?!". The queen groans and tells me, "The guards are idiots, and they have horrible response time. Thankfully, Taarie and Endarie managed to kill one of their members. Unfortunately, the body was burnt to a crisp and couldn't be identified.". I rub my head and ask, "What do we do?". The queen shrugs and says, "I don't have a clue.". I sigh and tell her, "That makes two of us.". I put my head in my hands, despair washing over me. What in oblivion am I suppose to do now?


	11. The Rebirth of a Nation

**Aeta POV:**

My sister comes running up to me, panic on her face as she blurts, "INFECTED! The sick from Solitude are coming this way!". I calm her down and manage to get her to tell me the full story. A grin is splitting my face by the time she's done speaking. She asks me, "Should we start taking them out?". I shake my head and tell her, "Send a small group out to greet them and lead us here, and have the builders set up a small pen for all of them to gather in.". Sarieh begins to object, but I smack her and she gets to work. I stand from my throne, and head over to the small blacksmiths area. Thankfully, Sarieh got a few of the stronger subjects into metal working. They aren't very good, but they should be able to make what I want. Hopefully. I find their leader, walk her a little ways away, and tell her, "Make fifty feet of shackles, and two shackles every foot. Don't ask what they're for, just make them. Can you do that?". She rubs her head, but shrugs and says, "It won't be a strong chain, but it'll do.". When that's done I go to the kitchens and tell the chefs, "Cook for two hundred people and add a little something 'special', understand?". When he nods I head into the 'library'. It's just a table with all of our books stacked on it, but the books are in a strange sort of order. I find the three books I require, and quickly go back to my throne. I sit down and look at the titles. _The Summerset Isles: The Dark History, Aunt Jane's Cabin,_ and_ The Riots of Morrowind. _I sit back, open the first book, and begin scanning the page. I have a lot of reading to do.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

I spur my horse faster, twenty of my men following me. I couldn't tell how many infected there were, but I was guessing around forty to fifty. Twenty good men _should _be able to handle unarmed citizens. However, when we reach them we find ninety or so men and women stumbling along. I pull my cloak tighter around me, the only thing hiding my demonic form from their eyes. I don't know how we should approach this, so I simply decide on the easiest way. I ride up onto a rock above their path, and scream so all can hear, "HALT!". Every single person stops, looking up at me in fear. I quickly yell, "We have food and shelter! Follow me, and you won't have to face the wilderness!". A few of them mumble, but eventually all of them follow. I knew they would, where else would they go? We make sure to stay as far away from them as we can, and soon enough we're home. A large pen is set up, tables of food inside it. I drop the sickened off there, tell my men to watch them, and ride back to the main house. The stone walls are almost done, the wooden floors are completed, and I even have to wait for a gate to rise before I can enter. This place is coming along quite nicely, and I know bandits will no longer look at our home and see a target. I put my horse in the makeshift stables, tell one of my young siblings to feed him, and go back to the house. When I go inside I see the smirk on my sister's face, and feel unease in my stomach. Why in oblivion is she helping the sick? I expected her to be in Solitude right now, a beer in her left hand, some meat in her right, and her wife crying and bouncing on my sister's new cock. It's almost concerning how calm she is.

I walk up to her, and see the books in her lap. I give her a questioning look, and pick up one of the books when she nods. A few pages are bookmarked, so I go ahead and flip to them. The book is called _The Riots of Morrowind, _and the page is talking about how rebellious slaves were simply sold to new buyers. But that's not the most frightening thing. The most frightening thing is the fact she underlined where the slaves were bought and sold. I pick up the other two books, and find the exact same things underlined. Suddenly, a blacksmith comes up to Aeta and announces, "The chain you ordered is ready.". Aeta smiles, pulls the woman to her, and whispers something into the woman's ear. When the smith leaves a realization comes to me and I whisper, "You're turning the sick into slaves.". My sister happily nods, smiling. I put the books back and tells her, "Slavery is illegal, and nobody will buy them.". Aeta laughs and counters, "It's only illegal if you get caught, which I have no intention of doing. Besides, the Altmer are always looking for people to enslave. We'll simply ship them to certain locations, and see who cares to buy a little extra help. We'll have to sell them for cheap since they're sick, but that's when the real plan starts.". I fearfully ask, "What's the next part of the plan?". Aeta giggles like a child and explains, "We buy a few healthy slaves and sell them around Skyrim! The right kind of people will kill to get a pillow slave. Then, we buy some more slaves. The cycle repeats, and we stop when we have enough slaves to overrun Solitude. We'll have to train them, since most of the slaves now a days are used as whores. But it's worth it.".

I calmly tell her, "You're crazy!". She shakes her head and tells me, "Mephala likes this plan, it's a good plan. We're going to do it, and you're going to be in charge of our first slave run!". I sputter, "ME?! I'm almost a demon!". Aeta rolls her eyes and explains, "That's why I chose you! You're smarter and stronger than mortals. Besides, you were always a gifted merchant.". I rub my eyes and ask, "Where do I go?". Aeta promptly tells me, "Stop by the Thalmor Embassy.". I interrupt her by saying, "The ambassadors don't buy slaves.". Aeta laughs and says, "Certain elves inside the embassy have their fair share of dirty laundry. Ask them nicely if they want to 'add to their collection' and even the highest of Altmer will look at your claim. However, give them only the few healthy slaves. If you give them decent slaves, then they will eventually want more. Work carefully, and the ambassadors could end up being out greatest customers.". I highly doubt that the ambassadors of The Thalmor would have slaves hidden away, but if Aeta demands it I'll do it. My sister smiles and continues, "Then, head to the Summerset Isles themselves, and be wary of who you ask. Give them the slaves that can be saved. Finally, head to Valenwood and sell the trash of the group. Understand?". I nod and she says, "Good, now let's go look at our profit.". I follow her to the pen, all of the sickened passed out and being chained. Aeta smiles, wraps her arm around me, and asks, "Beautiful, isn't it? We'll need to make boats to transport them, but the builders can finish that in a day.". I nod, looking at my new responsibilities. Looks like I'm a slaver. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but if Aeta wants it I'll do it. Hopefully.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

It's past midnight when my lover finally comes to, slowly blinking her eyes. I hug her in an instant, the Khajiit coughing. She pulls back and asks, "What happened?". I quickly explain the situation, my lover's face growing grim. She puts her head in her hands just like I did and asks, "What do we do?". I take her in my arms and momentarily forget what recently transpired, we need to be together in a time like this. I tell her, "Elisif said we could stay here.". She shrugs and asks, "What about the kids? How do we explain that a religious cult is after us?". I shrug and answer, "We don't, we let them hang on to their small shred of childhood.". She nods a little and asks, "What else do we do?". I pat her shoulder and explain, "We can't go to Castle Dour, but the queen is willing to let us do our work from here. Our house is being rebuilt, but it'll be a while. On the bright side the infected are gone, now we just have to worry about The Crusaders.". As if on cue a courier rushes by, screaming about them. We both sigh and I tell her, "Want to go see what they're doing?". She nods and I help her up, my lover's knees shaking. We slowly walk to where the courier is, a small crowd already gathered. The man stands up on the table by the throne, Elisif yelling for someone to get him down. A gigantic woman smacks the man off the table, then goes to stand by the queen's side.

The courier clears his throat and announces, "The Crusaders have murdered in the night! Rorlund, Silana Petreia, and Freir were found murdered in the Temple of the Eight! Today effigies of the daedra were set up in the town square, and when the first rays of dawn appeared the statues were burned! Along with the effigies were statues of Elisif the Fair, Legate Rikke, whoever that Khajiit is, Taarie, and Endarie were burnt!". He pants, using his knees to support his weight. I turn to my lover and tell her, "I guess Rorlund didn't have anything to do with it.". I analyze how I feel about that and tell her, "I feel a little bad now. Ah well.". My lover is flustered and tells me, "Whoever that Khajiit is! I have a damned name!". I chuckle, slap her on the back, and tell her, "I know your name.". She gets a little less flustered and tells me, "You better.". I see the queen approaching me, and I take my lover away from the group of people. When Elisif arrives I ask her, "Do you want us to protect her?". She shakes her head and points at the gigantic armor clad woman and says, "I'm well taken care of. However, I need to know something. Did you piss anyone off or say something offensive?". I give her an exasperated look and tell her, "I step on toes all the time without noticing, but nothing out of the ordinary.". She looks at my lover, and the Khajiit scoffs and says, "I don't talk to anyone besides Rikke, the housecarls, and the kids.".

Elisif rubs her head and says, "At least we know it isn't a personal attack against you two. Now, we need to find out what these people want.". The gigantic woman Elisif pointed to earlier walks over, hands Elisif a note, and says, "That shouldn't be too hard.". I hear her thick Elsweyr accent, and my lover's ears perk. However, the woman leaves without another word. I'm curious what that was all about, but brush it off. But while Elisif reads the note my lover asks her, "Who was she?". Elisif waves her hand at my lover and answers, "Nobody of importance, she won't bother you again, don't speak of her.". My lover and I are both taken aback, but the queen clears her throat and tells us, "It seems 'The Crusaders' want me to force every citizen to worship the nine, to publicly execute both of you, and step down as queen. They also demand I forsake any nonbelievers, outlaw daedra worship, and ban beast races from entering the city. Obviously, none of these request will be met. We're The Empire, not those damned Stormcloaks.". I nod in agreement and say, "Thank god Ulfric's gone, that's one victory.". The ruler of Skyrim nods and tells me, "I have to go to the moot pretty soon, and we need to have a plan ready for while I'm gone. Come on, follow me.". I look at my lover, but she simply shrugs and follow Elisif. Looks like we're having a meeting.


	12. Ash

Elisif collapses into a seat, the Khajiit and I sliding into the chairs across from her. The queen accepts a bottle of wine from a servant, takes a swig, and tells us, "This obviously isn't a good situation, and I need you two to be together on the issue.". The Khajiit instantly quips, "Why wouldn't we be together?". Elisif rolls her eyes and answers, "Because a certain little birdie of mine claimed he saw you two arguing near the inn. I'm not certain what went on, but I need you two to be the same as you usually are. Unbeatable.". We both nod, the affair problem at the back of our minds. At least, it's at the back of mine. Elisif nods back in approval, then tells us, "The infected are gone from the city, but there could still be sickness.". She turns so she's specifically talking to me, "As the general it's your responsibility to rule the city while I'm gone. Throw any of the infected out, we can't have sickness spreading.". I nod, and the queen goes back to addressing both of us, "We can't go anything about The Crusaders, just don't get yourselves killed. Hopefully the guards will catch them, or they'll find someone else to bother. Just run the city like Tullius would. Do you think both of you can do that?". Without thinking I nod, and can see my lover nod out of the corner of my eye. Elisif sighs, takes another swig of wine, and tells us, "I leave in an hour to take my rightful place as acknowledged queen of Skyrim. Start getting to work.".

* * *

I slowly walk down the path, my lover bounding beside me. She's in her full werewolf form, but I'm still uneasy. When we reach the town square I see the burnt effigies, each wooden statue standing ten feet tall. The Crusaders must have had this planned for a while, these aren't the kind of statues you just throw up in a night. My lover bounds over to one that resembles a dog, the gigantic beast climbing onto her own effigy. When she's at the top of the Khajiit statue's head she slowly stands up. I whistle and whisper, "Get down from there!". I can practically hear her roll her eyes, but she bounds down. Elisif left a few hours ago, and my main concern is The Crusaders launching an attack. We have guards posted everywhere, and each guard was assigned three hounds. If the madmen do manage to get into the city, then we'll know. My lover suddenly freezes and I tense, but when a cat leaps from the shadows I calm down. Within seconds my lover is upon it, devouring the beast whole. I roll my eyes and ask, "Isn't that a sort of cannibalism?". She gives me a raspy laugh, then pads back to my side. I pat her shoulder, continuing my patrol. A part of me wants The Crusaders to attack, so I can rip them limp from limp. However, another part of me wishes to never see them again. Those religious nuts burned my house to the ground, killed Lydia (it was only for a minute or two, but I count it), and almost killed the rest of my family. As much as I hate to admit it, they're a force to be reckoned with.

When we reach the west side of town the air is swarming in ash and smoke, remains of the recent fires. I blink to free my eyes of the debris, but the floating ash manages to sneak into my mouth. The grey powder taste like the broken dreams and hopes of those killed, their final moments consumed in fire and haze. I spit the taste out and push on, my lover lowering her head in the thick smog. My foot hits a dead body, and I quickly drag it into a cleared area. The Khajiit follows, sniffing the corpse. Finally, we're able to make out the body. My heart begins to speed like a runaway horse, the red diamond underneath my fingers stained by ash. I reach up and grasp the crusader's helmet, slowly taking it off. The sight before me is horrifying, the Orc's face covered in strange marks. Red diamonds are tattooed all over his skin, his eyes stained a bright green, and his teeth colored purple. I'm sure the colors represent something, but I don't care to know what. The man's head is shaved bald, some commandment tattooed into his flesh. My lover sniffs his face, cringing at the horrific sight. I reassuringly pat her shoulder, heave the man onto my shoulders, and begin carrying him back to The Blue Palace. I wasn't expecting to find a body, but I suppose this is still progress. Besides, the guards can patrol without me for one night. I need answers, and I need them now. Besides, having a healer examine the body is as good a place to start as any.

* * *

The autopsy is over, the healer coming to get me. When she finds us I demand she take me to the body, and the woman reluctantly does so. My lover is right behind me, now in her regular form. The man is stripped and washed, his internal organs on display. The healer clears her throat, points at his lungs, and tells me, "He died of smoke inhalation.". I honestly only want to know where he was from and who he was, but I allow the healer to continue. It's better to suffer through her speech and make a new friend, if I told her to shut up I would have one more possibly assassin. The healer points at random parts of The Crusader's body, telling random things about him. _Finally, _she tells me, "He seems to be from some obscure tribe in his native land, but I couldn't find identification. Actually that's a lie, I found a sort of identification.". She flips him over, a lion's paw burned into his back. My lover lets out a hiss, and when I turn to her she explains, "That's the mark of a _sklave_.". When I give her a questioning look she says, "It means slave. When ancient Khajiit tribes captured one another, we would make the captured Khajiit our slaves. The practice is extinct since slavery is illegal, but some savage tribes still manage to capture one another.". I look down at the man and ask, "Was he a slave or free?".

Before the healer can answer me, my lover explains, "If he was freed his master would have cut off his tattoo, he was still a slave.". I snort and say, "How religious of The Crusaders.". The healer cuts in by saying, "According to The Nine it's absolutely fine to have slaves.". I offer her a glare and she quickly raises her hands and defends, "I don't believe in any deity, but I know about other religions. According to The Crusader's religion if you two are in love and have sex, then you're going to oblivion because you're both women. However, the commandments never say slavery, abusive relationships, or rape is wrong.". She offers a small chuckle and says, "According to them there's a better chance that nut who tried to take over Whiterun is going to the gods, but you two are instantly sent to oblivion.". She shakes her head and asks, "Can I be dismissed now?". I nod and the woman walks away, leaving the Khajiit and me with the body. We walk up, examining the Orc. I ask the Khajiit, "Do you think The Crusaders are using slaves?". She shrugs, but says, "We better hope not.". Without thinking I ask, "Why?". My lover has a concerned look on her face as she explains, "The hidden slaves of Elsweyr are endless.". I nod and look down at the man, his face a collage of colors. It seems there's a good chance the religious nuts are using slaves. Damn it.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

The boat is ready, our builders made it last night. The small vessel is far from the best, but it'll do. It's an average boat besides it's hull. Inside are three decks, one for each type of slave. The top floor is for the healthy and untouched slaves, and they'll be treated like regular passengers. There aren't a large amount of them, so they have enough room to turn, stretch, and do whatever they please. The second floor is for those slaves that aren't too badly infected, so they can be cured or at least do a little work before they die. They'll be treated like children or pets, we'll have to be sterner on them. There are quite a few of them, so they'll be slightly cramped and uncomfortable. Finally, the last deck is for the dying and disgusting slaves. We'll have to clean that deck of bodies often, but it'll be worth it. We'll have to treat them extremely cruel, so they're prepared for what's coming. The floor is small and the slaves are many, so the slaves don't even have the room to even turn around. The food we feed them also varies, the healthiest getting the food we'd eat ourselves. The slave's closest to death won't be fed, so we won't have to waste supplies on them. However, we can't stop the slaves from sharing. I honestly don't care, I just want to make a profit. When the slaves are loaded we bring the food on board, followed by the animals and treasures.

Aeta wants to get into the slaving business, but she also wants to make some surefire money. The animals are the weakest we have that we would probably end up cooking, but they'll still bring in a decent profit. According to Aeta, pork and beef are rare on the Isles because livestock can't eat the indigenous flora. I honestly don't care, but my sister is proud of her gained knowledge. I see the last animal loaded on, my men beginning to board. The boat is starting to become heavy, the ship slowly dipping deeper into the water. I hear the pained moans of slaves from inside, but I shake it from my mind. Aeta said they're just like pigs and cows, and Aeta is never wrong. Probably. Finally, the last of the supplies are brought on board. The richest treasures and artifacts our family's had for generations, now about to be sold. Many of us disagreed with my older sister, but the promise of better rewards was too tempting. When everything is loaded on the ship I quickly climb onto my boat, the words _La Bave _written on the side. Thankfully, not a soul alive knows the real meaning of the word. Aeta and I know what it means, but that's due to our demonic blood. I blow my warhorn, my men pulling up the anchor and pushing off. My ship groans and slowly begins to move, our sails refusing to stir. I considered making the slaves row, but that'll tire them out. I sigh at the slow pace and go into my cabin, aching for a nap.

* * *

The elf beside me looks at all the slaves for sale, a gleam in her eyes. I never bothered to learn the head ambassadors name, but the Altmer doesn't seem to mind. When I asked if she would like to, 'Add to her collection' the woman jumped at the offer. I was taken aback by the realization of what 'adding to her collection' meant, but brushed it aside. I'm a slaver, and I shouldn't question the Altmer. It's not my job to question why the woman has slaves, it's my job to provide her with new ones. Finally, the woman selects half of our healthy slaves and pays me. When the gold is gone she collars all of her new slaves, the women and man crying out and fighting. The Altmer simply laughs and yanks on their leashes, forcing them to follow her. I shudder, but return to my ship. I store the gold in a safe place and set my sails for The Summerset Isles, the easy part behind me.

* * *

**Note: As some of you know my other story (_Love) _is now done. Usually I have an idea of the next story I want to do, or at least a few ideas. However, I've just hit a wall and have no idea what to write. I've toyed with the idea of a Serana or Lydia story, but can't seem to do anything else. Any ideas or opinions are happily welcomed. -KhajiitWarriorSam**

**P.S. _La Bave_ is french for _The Slaver._**


	13. Terrors In The Night

**Aeta POV:**

The builders run back and forth, never getting enough rest. I've been pushing them since Sarieh left, but I NEED a place to put the slaves. If one of them escapes and reaches a city, then we might as well burn the keep and kill ourselves. I'm admiring the wooden floors when one of my brothers finds me, awkwardly looking over his shoulder. I stand and ask, "What?". He gulps and explains, "One of the recruiters came back, she found a group of brigands willing to join us.". I nod and command, "Take me to their chief.". He quickly scuttles away, my long legs allowing me to easily keep pace with him. I've mastered locomotion, and I'm almost able to move all of my arms individually. However, I'm still getting use to the tiny things. Like the fact I have a muzzle instead of a mouth, my ears can be swiveled, I can naturally see in the dark, and my hooves need to be shod. I just need to get use to eating like a dog, swirling my ears to hear better, and having horse hooves. Speaking of which, I'll need to see the blacksmith after this. She took measurements of my feet, and promised to have horseshoes ready by today. I'm snapped out of my thoughts by my brother stopping inside the keep and stepping aside, revealing the bandit chief. A grin splits my face, the person in front of me familiar. Facie-Duorum is still as fat as even, and his drinking horn hangs from his belt.

He splutters and draws his sword when he sees me, pointing the tip at my uncovered breast. I laugh and tell him, "Put down your weapon you fat tub of lard.". He's still breathing heavy, but he puts his sword up. He eyes my extra arms and squeaks, "What are you?". I smile, lean in closer to the sweaty man, and tell him, "I'm Aeta, daughter of Ygfa and Broken-Helm the Foolish.". When he still stares blankly at me I elaborate, "Previously known as Nameless.". The wheels in the gigantic man's head finally click together, and he eyes my new form in fear. He manages to gasp, "What happened?". I show him my fangs as I tell him, "You and your lot left me atop Dragonsreach, and Legate Rikke laid claim to my life. I spent the last few months in an eternal oblivion.". I smile as sweetly as I can with my muzzle and tell him, "Just like you will.". He doesn't even have tie to register what I'm saying, my teeth are in his neck in an instant. With one twitch I rend his head from his body, throwing the skull across the room. I turn to the few advisers that came with him, quickly putting an end to all of them. My brother is shaking, watching me clean my muzzle. I turn to him and tell him, "Tell the bandits that their leader has given me control of them, and he's fled in surrender.". My brother asks, "Do you think they'll believe that?". I snarl and he goes running, leaving me to my cleaning.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I once again walk the streets, my feet aching. I should be considering retiring from the Legion, not looking out for men in crusader outfits. My lover is back at the palace, safe and sound. She complained about being left behind, but she needs to be protected. She's a grown adult and a werewolf to boot, but The Crusaders have me on edge. I'm still patrolling when the sun rises, and I hear a shout from the square. I groan and begin running to the scene, my sword draw. When I reach the square I see Taarie casting fireballs as fast as she can, two Crusaders leaping away from the flames. I move to kill the criminals, but they see me and flee over the city's wall. I curse them, Taarie walking over to me. Her eyes are trained on the spot where the Crusaders escaped, and she tells me, "They're getting bolder. I found three bodies shoved behind my store.". I throw my sword to the ground. I allow my anger to control me for a short while, stomping on the piece of metal. My shitty sword snaps in two, leaving me without a weapon. When I'm in control I look around the abandoned square, and ask the Altmer beside me, "Where is everyone?". She shrugs and answers, "Thrown out, barricaded in their homes, or praying. The only reason I'm outside is to get firewood.". I roll my eyes and tell her, "You gather firewood all day, take a break.". The Altmer ignores me and walks away, no doubt to get more firewood. I look up at the sky, my shift over. I sigh in gratitude and head back to the palace.

* * *

I collapse into the seat, the mess hall tucked away in a corner of the Blue Palace. The sun is high in the sky, lunch just now over. I've been working all day, every part of my body seems to ache. Everything's a mess. Elisif is gone, The Crusaders are apparently running a silent attack on the city, and I'm in charge of stopping this wreck. A dog yapping makes me aware of my family coming into the room, the entire bunch. Lydia and Jordis sit together at a table away from me, the two seem to get along now. At least, they can stand each other. Britte and Sissel begin playing in the corner, Lemkil yapping at their heels. I offer my lover a small smile as she slides in the seat across from me, two bottles in her hand. She offers me one bottle and I ask, "Beer?". She shakes her head and answers, "Vodka.". I happily take the alcohol, but make sure only to take a few sips. The children don't deserve to watch us loose our minds, and we both need to be clear headed. I take a swig of the drink and ask her, "What did you do today?". She pulls some food from her pack as she says, "I took care of some land disputes, political arguments, and investigated a man who claimed his brother stole some cattle. What did you do?". I take another swig and say, "Patrolled. I only saw two Crusaders, but there are ten reports of sightings. They weren't able to do much, but their presence is still foreboding.".

My wife nods in understanding, but asks, "Did you ever make up your mind about retiring?". I shake my head, still considering the matter. We've discussed it before, but we've never come to a conclusion. It _would _be nice to simply sit back and relax for a little while, but it's not that simple. Once you're in the Legion you're in for at least twenty years, then you can sign up for retirement. I've been working ten years past the required twenty, so the money I would be given would be enough to get the family by. However, I still can't get use to the idea of not working. What would all of the hours be dedicated to? What would be my purpose for waking up in the morning? My lover would be one, but she would still be required to work and wouldn't be around during the day. The children are another reason, but they'll be grown before I know it. And, there's one thought in the back of my mind that makes the thought of retirement unattractive. Retiring would be a way of accepting my age. I'm already aware of the grey roots attempting to invade my brownish gold hair, the fine lines beginning around my eyes, and the aches that come easier. Not to mention, my lover has shown me more than once that her stamina outlast mine. She claims it's just because her stamina is unnaturally high, but I'm not so sure about that.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by my lover pulling out a small tin, when she pops it open I see the sparse amount of tobacco leaves inside. She takes some of the leaves before offering some to me, and I easily take a few. She shoves the leaves into her mouth and I tell her, "We're probably setting a bad example for the kids.". She shrugs and manages to slobber, "There's nothing bad about this.". I suppose she's right, but healers still throw a fit when their patients chew tobacco. However, after a day like this, I need _something_. So, I begin chewing the leaves. I hear Lydia and Jordis begin laughing, and when I turn my head I see the two having a happy conversation. I shrug at the strange sight and spit out the leaf gunk, my lover following my lead. I wash my mouth out with vodka, then resume drinking. Today wasn't productive, eventful, or useful, so I _need _to relax. I didn't want the kids to see us, but they're so busy playing they won't notice us. The leaves and drink are helping be unwind, and the children thankfully didn't see me take the tobacco. Sissel and Britte can feel free to chew when they're older, but not when they're only ten. I'm snapped out of my thoughts by my lover tossing her empty bottle to the side, then instantly snatching another one from her bag. As we drink I think of what else can help me unwind. A few weeks ago I would have had Lydia watch the kids, drunk myself into a stupor, and fucked my lover. Obviously, I can't just crawl into bed with her after what she's done. I sigh and go back to drinking, deciding to stop thinking for the night.

* * *

Three huge oak banquet tables are set up in the middle of the palace, I'm sitting in a steel throne at the head of the middle table. All three tables are weighed down with food. I glance at the huge feast, and feel vomit in the back of my throat. Jellied calves' brains, cooked cat eyes, boiled duck embryos, a wheel of goat cheese cut in half to reveal the maggots inside, spiced spiders, smoked sheep heads, ox penises, fried pig blood, salmon eyes, blood pancakes, cockscomb, bat wing stew, and cow feet soup are on one table. Pig's brains in milk gravy, maggot cheese, fruit bat soup, sea urchin, raw worms, blood clams, cobras in a bowl of their own blood, glasses of the cobra's vile and venom, fermented crows, chunks of fried seal fat, spiced zebra penises, boiled dog kidneys, and steamed alligator hearts are on the second table. The final gigantic oak table has jellied moose noses, cockroach soup, rooster testicles, deep fried rat, wine bottles with lizards in the alcohol, cooked chicken feet, sheep hearts boiled in their own intestines, live octopuses, severed human toes deep fried, twitching shrimp, fried kittens, boiled puppies, and spiced deer heads. Damn it! I went to sleep drunk as a skunk, content with myself. Seems like I'm back in this oblivion like land, and pinching and slapping myself isn't working. I sigh and begin looking around, my curiosity overtaking me.

It's only after a few seconds of looking I notice the main course, it's right in front of me. Her left eye is missing, her flesh is rotten, and maggots have taken residents, but there's no mistaking the head in front of me. Lydia. Slowly, I take a carving knife and stand up. The eight other chairs at the tables are filled by my guest, and my mother always said it was rude to make a guest beg for his food. A thick fog covers the world, I can only see my guest when I'm right beside them. Elisif is a mutilated corpse, barely twitching. I hack off Lydia's ear and give it to the queen, the mutilated woman drooling and grasping for the meat. I quickly move on, Nameless the next quest. I'm not sure how I know it's Nameless, but I do. The creature is more demon than woman, but I still serve her. She growls, smirking at me as she eats. My third quest is a sight for sore eyes, Jordis somehow managing to look at me through the bloody sockets she calls eyes. I serve her, but she can't find Lydia's cheek. I move onto my next table, only two guest seated at this one. Maven Black-Briar makes a reappearance in my dreams, half of her body burnt to a crisp. I serve her, nearly jumping when she growls, "Thank you.". I go to the next guest, a beaten Britte shivering in her seat. I feed her, comfort her a little, and go to the final table. Sissel is likewise shaking and bruised, her eyes scanning for her sister. I do the same thing I did for her sister, then rush to the next guest.

A cloaked Crusader is my guest, but he swings at me any time I try to serve him. It takes a few minutes, but eventually I manage to slide some of Lydia's face onto his plate. I move on, the last guest not a surprise. My lover is in her werewolf form, beaten, whipped, and shaking. As I approach her she smiles, her shattered teeth revealing a missing tongue. I look into her one eye, the blue orb showing fear and terror. I pat her shoulder, feeling the broken bones move underneath my fingers. She pushes her piece of Lydia around, then rises to follow me. Her left arm ends in a stump, her right hand is shattered, and her body is shaved in odd areas. Each shaved area is covered in bruises, and a few areas on my lover's body are skinned. I shrug and go back to my throne, the limping werewolf flopping down by my side. Suddenly, pain flairs in my thighs, and when I look down I see two gigantic nails in my thighs. The guest are up and moving, Nameless strutting up to us. My lover cowers in fear, but barks when Nameless gets too close. The woman laughs, tosses a live octopus at the werewolf, and struts away. However, the demon freezes, looks over her shoulder, says, "I'll see you soon.". My lover gobbles up to octopus, then turns to me. She whimpers as she puts her head on my thigh, blood dribbling from her mouth. I rub her head, the werewolf pleadingly croaking (I'm not sure how she manages to do that without a tongue, but she does), "I'm sorry.". I keep patting as I tell her, "I know. I know.". I keep patting, the world slowly fading around me.


	14. The Tide of The Isles

I slowly open my eyes, darkness still surrounding me. When I stand up I nearly fall to my knees, my body shaking. At first I think it's from the cold, but after a few seconds I realize it's because of my dream. It occurs to me that my clothes are covered in sweat, so I quickly change into some new sleeping clothes. I stick my head out my window, the crisp white orb in the sky telling me it's around midnight. I sigh and crawl back into bed, the space beside me empty. My lover was never told she couldn't sleep in the same bed as me, but she bunked with Lydia tonight. The housecarl is a good woman, so I don't have to worry about her doing anything stupid. My first thoughts were of my lover cheating again, but my second thoughts are of someone mocking the Khajiit. This matter was private, and unfortunately it's become a somewhat semi-public rumor. A patron of the bar must have spread it because I _**know** _my lover or I would never spread it. I shake my thoughts off and realize I'm never going to get to sleep, not with the recent nightmare. I've had them before, but they've always lasted until the morning. I suppose it would help to curl up beside another living person, and I can't just grab a guard or servant. That would cause rumors, be unfair to my lover, and I don't like the servants or guards. I sigh and close my eyes tighter, telling myself to get over it.

I toss and turn for an hour or two before I give up and rise, heading to Lydia's room. The eerie quiet puts me on edge, and I'm nervously aware that I'm unarmed and unarmored. My tension heightens when a servant carrying linens walks by me, but the woman simply struts past without a word. I hate The Crusaders, they're making me see enemies when there's nothing there. Finally, I make it to Lydia's room and knock on the door. I hear movement from inside and Jordis (Jordis?) yells, "Just a minute.". I stand and wait, my eyes flicking up and down the hall. When Lydia answers the door I step inside, the housecarl moving to the side. I look around the room, but there's no sign of Jordis. Lydia shuts the door and I ask, "Where's Jordis?". Lydia seems to freeze up and answers, "How in oblivion should I know? She's probably getting drunk or something.". The insult lacks Lydia's usual sting, but I ignore it and tell her, "Right. Now, for a more important question. Where's your Thane?". Lydia shuffles her feet as she looks at the ground, but eventually tells me, "I was entertaining company, and she had to leave.". I give the woman a glare and ask, "Where did your Thane go?". Lydia shrugs, so I allow her one more glare before leaving. Whoever she was entertaining better have been worth it because I'll make sure my lover isn't kicked out next time. I have no grudge against Lydia, but she promised the Khajiit would sleep through the night._  
_

It takes a little while, but eventually I find my lover. She's curled up in the kitchen storage room, an apple in her mouth. She has bits of food scattered all around her, and I don't think she was planning on falling asleep here. I open her jaws and pull the slobbery fruit from her lips, quickly tossing the bitten apple to the side. The woman sleepily mumbles as I collect her in my arms, a bottle of whiskey slipping from her hand. As I carry her to my room the sparse guard and occasional servant give me odd looks, but I ignore them and just go about my business. When I strut by Lydia's room I swear I hear two people snarling, then I reach my room and shake the noises off. I manage to awkwardly open the door, my lover's head brushing the wood. When we're inside I lock and shut the door, then carry my lover over to the bed. I peel back the covers and place her in the comfortable bed, the Khajiit sighing and once again curling up. I smile a little and climb in beside her, wrapping my arms around her. The unconscious woman snuggles into me, only aware of the warmth and comfort my arms are offering her. After a few minutes, I awkwardly climb over her and resume snuggling the woman, but now we're face to face like we usually sleep. My lover once again settles against me, and I awkwardly look down at her face. The Khajiit is still sleeping, her face peaceful.

I bring my hand up to trace her cheek, the chestnut fur parting beneath my thumb. She cheated on me, but I still love her. Damn emotions. I vaguely remember when all that mattered to me was drinking, money, and fighting. However, I also recall having to be alone all the time. Besides, I was young and still hadn't found my love of the Legion. I quickly tell myself to stop thinking, and lay my head down on my pillow. I'm not sure what will happen tomorrow, but I need to be ready to face anything. Suddenly, I have an urge to do something. I open my eyes, gingerly lean over to my sleeping lover, and gently kiss her. I'm still upset with her, but I still yearn for a little contact with her. Giving her it while she's asleep might not be a good moral choice or intelligent decision, but she can't mistake my kiss for an acceptance of what she did. Finally, I can try to get some sleep. I'm dozing when I hear the door creak open, and without thinking I prepare to leap. I don't have a weapon, but I was once forced to wrestle a grizzly bear when I got lost from my platoon. When my captain finally found me I had a broken leg and three cracked rib, but when I was able to walk I had a nice bearskin cloak dragging behind me. Whoever's in our room doesn't stand a change. When the person begins walking I lunge out of bed, silent as a ghoul. Lydia doesn't have time to screech as I hit her, so my lover is still asleep. I pin the woman and snarl, "What are you doing?". She manages to squeak out, "Jordis told me to go find my Thane!". I stand, push her to the door, and snarl, "Go!". When she's gone I groan, the moon almost gone from the sky. I need to get some sleep. I groggily get into bed, wrap the Khajiit in my arms, and close my eyes. My last conscious thought is cursing Jordis and Lydia.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

The salty wind slaps me across the face, causing me to sputter. We're only a few hours sail from The Summerset Isle, but a storm has whipped up and is attempting to drive us away. My men are doing the best they can to keep us on course, and the slaves below are screaming and howling as saltwater rushes into their hold. If this storm keeps up the lowest level of slaves will drown. A wave breaks over the side of my ship, washing two of my brothers and three of my sisters out to sea. I grab a rope and fling it over the heaving side, but only one of my sisters is able to grab onto it. Once she's safely fished out of the ocean she runs away in fear, scurrying into the crew's sleeping quarters. I can't say I blame her, if I had it my way I would be safely in bed. But the ship is still being thrown around like a toy boat, and the crew members need my guidance. Not that I can give them much, this is the first time I've ever captained a boat. A gust of wind suddenly snaps us, but for once it pushes us the right way. It takes an hour or two, but eventually we're free of the angry storm. I spit out a mouth of salty water, and gather the crew. I do a head count, and sigh in happiness when I realize we're only lost four members. I give them orders to do what they need to do, then head to my cabin. The naked slave cowers from me, terrified and chained to my bed. I can't help smiling, grabbing a potion from my dresser. The Redguard cries as I force open his jaws, dumping the potion in his mouth. Within a few seconds his cock is ready to fuck.

I clamber onto him, my clawed hands pinning him to the bed. He opens his mouth to scream something, but a swift punch to the jaw stops him. I slide onto his cock, biting his shoulder to stop him from thrashing about. A growl echoes in the small cabin as I begin to piston my hips up and down, bruising the man's thighs. He's screaming bloody murder now, but I couldn't care less. Anyone who hears him isn't going to help him, they're aware of what's going on. The second we left for the Isles I went down into the holds, found the healthiest man I could, and forcibly took him as a concubine in front of his wife and remaining child (I sold the other two to the Altmer ambassador). I eventually moved him to my room for convenience, and I'm considering keeping him. Aeta took her wife by force, so it's completely justified that I have a concubine by force. Besides, I'll pay for him if I hurt him. He already has a little scarring and is extremely traumatized, but a buyer might like that. And, he isn't infected and probably won't get the disease, so he can be used as a pillow slave. His cock isn't anything to write home about, but I've had worse. I'm suddenly aware that the organ in question rapidly going soft. I curse, grab the potion, and once again force it down his throat. Now the man has stopped wailing, but tears are racing down his face. I snarl and get back to what I was doing, finally feeling a peak of pleasure. Once I'm done I climb off the man, catch my breath, and clean myself up. I leave the crying man in my cabin, off to attend more important business.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I slowly wake up, aware of the warmth that surrounds me. I sigh and nuzzle deeper into the person that's holding me, and feel Rikke's warm chest press against my back. In an instant my eyes fly open, taking in my surroundings. The room is Elisif's bedchamber, but Rikke has temporarily taken up residence until the queen returns from The Moot. I manage to awkwardly turn my head, confirming that I'm in Rikke's arms. I place my head back down, but leave my eyes open. Why am I in Rikke's arms? The last thing I remember is Jordis sneaking into Lydia's room, Lydia promptly telling me to scram (more like asking, but I felt like I was imposing and left), and going down to the kitchens to eat and drink until the cook woke me up in the morning. Somehow I prefer waking up in the general's arms over an angry chef smacking me awake. However, none of that answers what I'm doing here. Rikke isn't mad at me, but she still hasn't forgiven me enough to share a bed with me. At least that's what I thought. My questions are going to be answered fairly soon, the woman behind me is stirring. I manage to flip around, facing the older woman as she wakes up. She slowly blinks awake, notices me, and slurs, "Morning.". I whisper, "Morning.". Rikke gets up and begins dressing, and I just now realize I never changed for bed last night.

Oh well, saves me time. I stand and ask, "Why am I here?". As Rikke puts her tunic on she tells me, "Philosophers have debated why we're here for ages.". I loudly sigh to show my disapproval and repeat, "Why did I wake up in your arms? Please refrain from saying, 'Because you were asleep in them.'.". Rikke chuckles, but tells me, "I had another nightmare, and having you at my side eases my worries. Besides, I couldn't leave you to sleep in a pile of potatoes with an apple in your mouth.". I begin straightening my clothes and say, "I suppose I should thank you, the chefs might have decided Khajiit was on the menu. All of their food either has a bite taken out of it or is in my gut.". Rikke finishes dressing, but I can see her smile. We both silently head down to the kitchen, and sure enough the chefs are bustling about. No doubt trying to make some sort of breakfast without half of their food. We sit down beside Jordis and Lydia, the two happily sitting beside each other. When Lydia escorted me from her room she said Jordis and her needed to talk, and whatever they talked about must have brought them closer together. The chefs put four plates of food down, and we all begin happily eating. However, our meal is interrupted by a courier rushing up to us and puffing, "Legate! Legate!". I think he's talking about Rikke, but when he grasps my shoulder I suddenly remember I'm the only legate here.

I look over to him and ask, "What?". He pants and manages to wheeze, "Bandits.". I take a swig of mead and ask, "Bandits? In Skyrim? Are you sure?". His glare could burn through steel, but he still tells me, "A raid on Fort Hraggstad, and The Crusaders are marching outside our walls.". Rikke is at my side in an instant, commanding the courier, "Explain.". He grabs his chest and says, "The Crusaders are gathering outside our walls, yelling for 'The Holy Ones' to escape from the city. The raid isn't a standard bandit raid, our men are barely holding them off. We need to do something.". Rikke roughly pushes the man away and snarls, "We're the ones in charge, don't tell us what to do!". He apologizes and rushes away, an imaginary tail shoved between his legs. I turn to Rikke and ask, "What do we do?". She shrugs and says, "Which one do you want to take?". I raise an eyebrow and ask, "Both of us?". She nods and ask, "Why not both of us?". I clear my throat and explain, "While Elisif is gone we rule the city, and if we left there wouldn't be someone running Solitude. Falk could do it, but he went with the queen. And, all of this could end up being assassins.". Rikke warily asks, "Assassins?". I nod and explain, "Kill us both and the city is defenseless, or we could both just end up dying from combat. It's smarter if one of us stays behind.". We both fall silent, staring into each other's eyes. Finally, Rikke sighs and mutters, "Go.". I give her a hug of gratitude and affection, say goodbye to the housecarls, and leave as quick as I can. I have a lot of work to do today, and I better get started.

* * *

**Note: After a bit of time to think, I'm finally narrowing down the other story I wish to pursue at this time. Right now I'm typing out two drafts to see which one I like better, one is the start of a Serana/Female Dragonborn story. The other is the first chapter in a sequel to _The Queen and Her Cat. _I don't like the thought of doing two sequels at a time, but if I think it's worth it I'll do it. So, watch out for another story over the next couple of days.**

**-KhajiitWarriorSam**


	15. Here Comes The Queen

I spur my armored grey mare on faster, an entire horde of guards right behind me. Rikke is still safe inside the palace, but I need to neutralize the threat of The Crusaders. It won't be a permanent fix, but it might stop them from banging on our walls. We arrive at the bared gate, and are forced to wait several minutes as the guards slowly unlock them. No matter how long or loud I yell at them, they still waste precious time bickering over who does what. When the doors are finally open I charge through, the guards slowly streaming out after me. I ride a few hundred feet away, but don't start riding again until the gates are closed. It would have been disastrous if the 'knights' had slipped in while we were away. I left a small group of guards behind, but a majority of them are with me. If The Crusaders end up being a serious threat, then I want the numbers on my side. More than one battle throughout history has been decided by how many men can die. My horse neighs in fear, a gigantic fire pit revealed right beside the city's wall. A miniature stage has been set up, three cloaked figures standing on it with a swarm of Crusaders behind them. I curse when I see a small crowd of citizens in front of them, apparently the city isn't as tightly locked as I thought. The guards will have to fix that after this threat is taken care of. Archers string their bows, but I halt them. We can't risk hurting the citizens. They hate me too much already.

I point at five guards and say, "Stay with me, die if necessary.". The five I pointed to are the queen's royal guards. They aren't technically suppose to guard a legate, but they're loyal and will still die in my place. That's all I ask. The citizens see us and mumble among themselves, but don't halt us. I clear my throat to announce that The Crusaders are under arrest and going to be executed, but their leader (I'm assuming, the figure is standing in the middle) yells, "And so the sinner has come to our fold! No doubt to confess to her deathly sins!". The voice is high and I assume it's a woman, but it could easily be a man masking his voice. I can practically feel her eyes on me as she asks, "What say you sinner? Have you come to confess your abominations against the gods, and be cleansed by a devout of the nine?". I make sure everyone can hear me as I yell, "No I have not. I have come to demand you leave the city now, and never return. The good people of Solitude are tolerant of whoever practices what religion, as long as it does not interfere or harm others. You and your followers have done great harm to the city, and it's a gigantic mercy that I allow you the chance to flee. Take it, or be forcibly removed from the vicinity.". The leader laughs, then screams, "Look at the black wolf among the white lambs! She parades her sins in front of us all, and refuses to repent! None may save her soul!".

The citizens are whispering to each other, but I ignore them and yell to the leader, "My personal sins are my own, and I shall repent for them when I see fit. If the time is never, then so be it. You and your followers slaughtered innocent people, are attacking the city, and are attempting to get citizens to join your criminal organization.". The leader only waits a second before screaming, "We have purged the city of the faithless, are attempting to strike down the false rulers, and save the innocent from your corruption! Molag Bal has already snatched your immortal soul away from you, but that doesn't mean others can't be saved!". She turns to the citizens as she roars, "Join us! We shall punish this corrupt woman for her sins, the purge the city! When Solitude stands clean we shall continue until all of Skyrim is holy! Come forth children of the gods, and come into our ranks!". The citizens continue talking, and I feel my heart sink. Are they actually buying this? I get my answer when a few of the citizens tentatively begin to walk to them. In an instant I open my mouth to scream a command, but I'm cut off by the head Crusader. She points off into the distance and tells her followers, "There lies the false leader! Strike her down and usher in a new era!". I flip my horse around, and see a guarded carriage heading towards the city. Elisif is done at The Moot, and is heading back. The only queen in all of Skyrim is returning to Solitude, and a mob is waiting for her.

Without a thought I yell, "Kill The Crusaders! Contain the citizens! Protect the queen!". My screams overlap with the lead Crusader's yells of, "Cleanse the guards! Protect our new members! Slay the sinners!". The citizens can only scream as the two sides charge, colliding in the middle of the citizens. The guards swarm over me, blocking my path to the queen. The head Crusader leaps from her perch, burns a guard alive, and hops onto his horse. She isn't impeded by the guards, so she easily begins riding towards the queen. I roar and smack my horse on the ass, but that only causes the beast to rear. I slash him with a dagger from my waist, and this time he gets the message. He breaks into a gallop, panting and heaving. The Crusader's horse is a guard horse, so it's horribly unfit compared compared to mine. However, she had a head start and her horse didn't try to buck her. Both of our followers are pounding behind us, but a fair amount are still fighting one another. I can only imagine how many citizens were killed in the conflict. At one point the Crusader and I are neck and neck, our armored horses panting in unison. Then, she swings at me and I'm forced to pull ahead of her. Her plowing horse isn't nearly as fast as my speed horse, but it has more staying power. My horse gradually slows down, and my slashing can't speed him up.

The Crusader laughs as she passes me, once again lashing out. I keep beating my horse, but he can't physically go any faster. I yell for the archers to fire, but they're terrible on horseback and all of their arrows miss. Well, almost all of them. One strikes my horse's ass, the beast suddenly putting on a burst of speed. He screams in pain as he runs, missed arrows snapping beneath his unshod hooves. I have to keep forcing him on, the carriage up ahead halted. I pray that they have the sense to run, but instead the guards draw their weapons. The lead Crusader raises her hand, lightning bursting from it. It hits one guard, then jumps to the next. The beam of lightning kills all of the guards, the carriage undefended. Damn it, The Crusaders are good at magic. At least one of them is. I despise the art of magic, I've never been good at it and it's hurt me too many times. My thoughts are turned away from myself as the Crusader reaches the carriage, leaps off her horse, and rips the door off its hinges. She steps inside, a blade pulled from her shoe. A single scream goes up, then falls silent. I yank on my reins, my horse rearing and kicking the air before he stops. My guards likewise freeze, all of us too stunned to move. Then, the woman burst from the carriage, Iquickly regain my composer and scream, "Kill her! Kill the queen's slayer! Leave none of her men standing!".

In an instant half the guards turn around, thundering back to The Crusaders. The other half charge the woman, me leading them. I've failed the queen, but it's not too late to avenge her. The woman sees us and laughs, but doesn't do anything until I'm right beside her. She shoves her hand downward, a smoggy black cloud overtaking her. My horse rears and screams, his eyes wild. I roar and slap him back down, but the woman is already gone. I curse and turn around, a group of defeated guards slowly riding back to me. It's easy to tell who won. I motion to them and yell, "Bury the dead, put the citizens back in Solitude, and lock the city up tighter than ever before. We're going under martial law, rationing food, and put a curfew into effect. Carefully watch whoever goes to the temple, block the bay, and have as many guards guarding as often as possible. I'll recover the queen's body, but the second I'm in the city lock it down.". They all nod, quickly going to do as I command. I slowly ride to the carriage, shame filling my very being. I had one duty to the queen, and I couldn't even do that. All I had to do was die in place of my ruler. I should have let Rikke come, she would have killed the Crusader and put an end to their organization. I come upon the carriage, dismount, and slowly walk inside. The sight before me is completely horrifying.

I slowly go over to the queen's decapitated body, and pick up her head. My vision becomes blurry and I blink, then notice something. A speck of brown in the queen's hair. I push aside her bangs, and see brown roots revealed in her hair. My confusion only grows at the queen's stormy grey eyes, death cloudy the pupils. I never looked at Elisif for too long, but I at least know she has golden hair and spring green eyes. A sudden thunder of hooves catches my attention, and when I look outside I see three figures charging down the road. Sybille Stentor the court wizard, Falk Firebeard the court counselor, and the queen Elisif the Fair. In an instant I'm out of the carriage and in the middle of the path, the decapitated head still clutched in my hand. The three see me and ride over to me, Elisif in the lead. I'm waving the queen over in a panic, the woman's head still hanging in my hand. Elisif notices and coughs, motioning for me to get rid of it. I nod and toss it to the side, the woman's head rolling away. Without waiting to be greeted I ask, "What's going on?". Elisif explains how she sent an impostor, and prepared for something like this. She thought more about bandits, but it still saved her life. She also apologizes for the long wait, explaining she got sick a little while after being named queen. I fill her in on what's been going on while she's been gone, and the orders I've given. She nods in approval and says, "Good choice. Now come on, we have a feast to attend to.". I cock my head and ask, "A feast?". She nods and explains, "In celebration for me becoming the queen of Skyrim. We can ration food later, celebrate now.". She rides off and I quickly follow her, food now the main thing on my mind.

* * *

I stand at the queen's side, the feast now under way. Rikke is on Elisif's other side, Lydia and Jordis flanking us. Nobles, a scant amount of commoners, and a few people of royalty are all gathered around a gigantic table. The battle with The Crusaders went horribly, and we didn't manage to take back Fort Hraggstad. Not to mention, the people of Solitude are near rioting. Some of them joined The Crusaders, some of them were killed by The Crusaders, and some of them were killed by guards. Their numbers are dwindling, and they want something done. Elisif could only make fake promises, offer them the feast, and reinforce what my commands were. My thoughts are interrupted by Elisif standing up, banging on the table to silence everyone. She clears her throat, raises a glass of wine, and announces, "Thank you all for coming. It's a wonderful feast, if only the pork wasn't so charred.". Everyone lets out a nervous laugh, and a quick scan of the feast tells me why. There's not a single pork dish. Did Elisif make a joke? That's unlike her. The queen suddenly sways, but manages to steady herself. I chop it up to too much drink, and allow the queen to continue. She clears her throat and says, "It's fantastic that you're all gathered here. Drink and dance, for the war is over and The Stormcloaks have fallen!". Everyone freezes, the war was won almost a year ago. Why is Elisif bringing that up again? I quickly look over to Rikke.

She raises her eyebrows and nods, an obvious signal for something. But I don't know what, so I simply allow the queen to keep speaking. She keeps her wine glass raised as she says, "Ulfric is dead, and soon enough I'll be the true queen!". Damn it, I have to stop this. I'm not sure what's going on, but Elisif is embarrassing herself. I walk over to the queen, tap her shoulder, and whisper, "Your majesty.". The reaction is instant, the queen spinning around and glaring at me. She snarls, "You dare to interrupt me!". Everyone is silent, watching us. I calmly tell her, "It's a matter of utmost importance. Please, forgive me.". The queen keeps glaring through hazy eyes, but nods and says, "Show me the way.". I turn and lead her away, everyone slowly going back to business. When we exit the dining hall I turn to the queen and tell her, "Your majesty, I think your recent sickness has negatively effected you. Maybe you should lie down and-". A sharp slap to my face stops me from speaking, the queen all but roaring, "Maybe you should shut your whore trap and do your job!". My ears flatten against my skull, I bring my hand up to my face, bow, and tell her, "My apologies. Your majesty.". She snarls and turns away, strutting back to her room. I feel a strong hand touch my shoulder, and look behind me to see Rikke. She tells me, "The Crusaders are running crazy, the queen is acting extremely odd, The Crusaders are reviving the slave trade, and Fort Hraggstad is abut to be captured by bandits. We need help.". I nod, knowing exactly what she has in mind. She offers me her arm and I take it, following my lover out of the palace. Everything is going to oblivion, and we need to send a message to the emperor. Fast.


	16. A Rising Storm

**Rikke POV:**

The queen doesn't notice us slip out, she's too busy screaming at a servant for pouring too much wine on the chicken. I speed up a little, desperate to get away. What in oblivion is wrong with Elisif? She's never laid a hand on a servant, let alone on a legate. And, she seems unconcerned with the crisis. The streets are empty as we walk, the stones around us glittering in the night. As we walk I tell my lover, "I'm certain the queen didn't mean it.". She snorts and asks, "Didn't mean what? Slap me? Do you think she just meant to hit my shoulder?". I sigh and tell her, "She's under a lot of stress, she probably just snapped at you. I'm sure she'll apologize.". She shakes her head and denies it, "I'm not sure what in oblivion crawled up Elisif's ass, but it's not coming out any time soon. She meant what she said, and all I can do is lie back and take it.". I pat her arm and tell her, "I understand more than you know. Not everyone I've worked under has been good to me, and you're right. All we can do is take it, and pray they used enough olive oil.". My lover looks discontent, but doesn't say any more about the issue. I know her and know she'll remember what Elisif did, and chew on it every night before bed like a dog with an old bone. The Khajiit doesn't let things go easily, and she'll probably remember the slap until the day she dies. All I can do is take her mind off it, and I know how.

I reach into my pocket, pulling out a can of hard packed and slightly moistened tobacco. I offer the can to the Khajiit, the woman instantly snatching it from my hand. She shoves some of the substance in her mouth, then offers the tin back to me. I shove some of the leaves in my mouth and put the can back in my pocket. Some alcohol and talking later will help ease her further, but right now she'll have to make do with the leaves. Right before we enter Castle Dour we spit out the remaining tobacco, the black gunk shining in the moonlight. When we're inside I lock the doors, not a single guard in the headquarters. We both enter the war room, every flag on the board a wonderful red. My lover sits down and I slide into the seat across from her, the Khajiit swiftly removing the map from the table. I clear my throat and ask, "What do we tell the emperor?". My lover considers for a moment, then says, "The Crusaders are reviving the slave trade, The Crusaders are attacking, Fort Hraggstad is about to be taken, and the queen is acting odd. Our emperor needs to know about everything that's going on in his realm, and he needs to know what kind of help to send. Besides, withholding information from our superiors is never good.". I nod in agreement, pull out a quill, get a piece of paper, and begin writing. I hate to admit it, but we badly need help. If the emperor refuses, then I don't know what we'll do.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

The slaves whimper as they're driven into the hull, our newest captives. We're docked at the Summerset Isle, and we've sold our stock. I need to obtain healthy slaves, then head to Valenwood. Finally, we'll sell the worst of the bunch and buy a few more slaves. When we return to Skyrim we'll have roughly one hundred slaves. It's only a third of the slaves we had, but they're a lot healthier than the ones we've sold. I think Aeta will be pleased, at least I hope she is. If my sister is displeased, then my head will adorn her throne. Speaking of which, I'll have to question my sister on her plan for Solitude. We can't hide behind the shroud of winter now, and we'll have to greatly alter our original plan. We could always do a shadow war, but Aeta has never been one to be careful. I'm still shocked she's refrained from claiming her wife. My thoughts are interrupted by a slave suddenly screaming, fighting to free himself of his chains. I roll my eyes and motion for my siblings to detain him, the man quickly taken care of. I crack my back and neck, then head back to my cabin. The man is still chained down, whimpering and cowering. I paid for him and am going to get the full use out of him, even if I have to go through all of my arousal potions. The man begs and cries as I shove the potion in his mouth, mount him, and begin to fuck him. After today I need this. Badly.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I slowly walk around my restored keep, the stone walls protecting us. It's not as good as a city's defense, but it's better than none. My people have a safe place to live, and it has multiple benefits for me. I can hide here, store slaves here, and die here if need be. I keep examining the entire miniature fortress, a grin splitting my face. Everything is going perfectly. News has reached me that Solitude is under attack by 'Crusaders', Fort Hraggstad is about to be taken by bandits, and people have spotted a strange ship cutting through the bay. The ship part was obviously Sarieh leaving, but the other two are just wonderful coincidences in my favor. One of my brothers suddenly rushes up to me, a dead raven in his hand. I snatch the bird from him, yank the piece of paper off the dead creature's leg, and read it.

_Emperor Titus Mede the Second,_

_Solitude is in grave danger. Queen Elisif of Skyrim has recently fallen ill, and we fear it's had prolonged effects on her mental and physical health. She struck one of her protectors, gave a speech like the war was just won, and is snarling at any servant that crosses her path. Fort Hraggstad is overrun by bandits, the brigands banging at the door. If we don't take the fort back soon, then our men could be killed and our supplies taken. A group known as The Crusaders are attacking the city, killing citizens, and preaching intolerance. Finally, 'The Crusaders' are attempting to revive the slave trade in Skyrim. Everything is dire, our men are spread too thinly, and I'm seeing enemies in every shadow._

_We require assistance immediately, even General Tullius couldn't lead us through this troubling time. Every city is too preoccupied with their own problems to send the required aid. Solitude is greatly weakened, and rotting from the inside out. Our men, supplies, and resources are limited. Sending the soldiers back after the war was one of the stupidest calls I ever made, we once again need their strength. Please, I fear that what we've worked so hard to make is simply falling down around us. Soon enough the city will lie in ruin, enemies snapping at us from all sides. I fear this battle is not fought with swords and spears, but rather coins and papers. __Or worse yet a battle of shadow and night. Either way, we desperately need aid in our time of need. Send warriors, merchants, spies, and beggars. We need them all. __Skyrim is facing one of its greatest challenges since the war, and we need our Empire to guide us through it._

_- General Rikke_

I smile, crumple the note up, and toss it to the side. I pat my brother on the head and tell him, "Announce to everyone that I'll be gone tonight and part of tomorrow. Nothing else.". He nods and rushes away, his little legs carrying him as fast as he can go. Everything seems to be falling into place, and for once in my favor. I could have everything I planted in a day or two. Damn, why don't I go ahead and pick the ripest peach now? I've earned a little reward, I've been patient far longer than I would have expected from me. That's it, I'm going to give myself a little reward and go snatch my biggest prize. I turn and begin trotting away, a shit-eating grin plastered on my snout.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

We return to the feast, but freeze in the entrance way. Elisif is snarling at everyone, her guardians eyeing her warily. Suddenly, the queen yells, "Burn him!". She turns to the guards and snarls, "This man has committed high treason! Get him!". The guards look reluctant, but dive forward and grab a poor commoner. He screams as he's yanked out, the two guards' eyes pleading with us to stop. My lover steps forward to do just that, but my hand on her shoulder stops her. Elisif is the queen, and we must stand by her decisions. We both walk back to our spots, the queen flopping down in her seat and drinking heavily. Is all of this due to too much alcohol in her system? I highly doubt it. We're forced to stand still, screaming coming from outside. What on earth did that man do to be burned alive? I don't know, but I make a note to question Lydia and Jordis later. 'Later' ends up being hours, the queen demanding the feast keep going. By the time we can retire my legs are shaking, and my lover almost passed out when she locked her knees. She quickly corrected her mistake, but it's clear it still caused her pain. As we walk to our room I tell her, "Go on ahead, I need to talk to Lydia.". She nods and walks on, her chestnut tail swinging behind her. When I open the door to Lydia's room I scream, Jordis instantly leaping off her fellow housecarl.

Jordis realizes her mistake when she remembers she's naked, and yanks the blanket off the bed to cover her. Now Lydia screams, the housecarl's scarred body revealed to me. My shock quickly turns to annoyance as the housecarls bicker, eventually Jordis just crawls back into bed. They're both covered by the blanket, their faces burning in shame. I rub my temples and ask, "What in oblivion did I walk in on?". Jordis instantly says, "Wrestling.". I grind my teeth and snarl, "I'm not twelve. You two were fucking.". I elaborate by saying, "Well, almost.". Neither of them say anything, but their eyes answer my statement. I sigh and tell Lydia, "I suppose this makes us almost even.". Lydia looks confused as she asks, "Even?". I nod and explain, "You interrupted me and your thane twice when we were about to have sex, and before we even got our clothes off. Now, onto why I came here.". Jordis and Lydia both look uncomfortable, but I couldn't care less. If they want to fuck in peace, then they should learn to lock the door. I clear my throat and ask, "Why did Elisif burn that man?". They both looked frightened as they tell me what happened, sparing not a single detail. I nod, thank them, then tell them, "Don't let,". I motion at them, "this mess with your duties. Good night.". I turn and strut away, a dark grey cloud hanging over my mind.

* * *

**Author's note: I've finally gotten around to making a second story. That's right, after an abnormally long wait I once again have another tale to tell. It's a Serana/Female Dragonborn story. Feel free to swing by it and check it out, I'm really excited to start writing a second story again.**

**-KhajiitWarriorSam**


	17. A False Trail

**Aeta POV:**

My horse whinnies as I slap his ass, the city of Solitude rising above us. My grin is now plastered to my face, my reward almost within my grasp. When I reach the city I dismount, and quickly check my pockets. A small amount of power is in one, a blindfold and gag in the other. Perfect. The moonlight is gleaming off the city stones, but I easily scale it. I see guards are crawling everywhere, but I calmly stick to the shadows. However, it appears my wife's house burned down. Damn it, I can only hope she survived someone torching her place. I carefully crawl over to the rubble, sniffing for my soon to be reclaimed lover. My nose isn't fantastic and the scent is old, but I pick it up. I spend the next hour scuttling around the city, occasionally losing the scent or having to double back. It seems my wife has been everywhere and anywhere, but slowly the path becomes apparent. Her scent leads up to The Blue Palace, and I make sure to remain unseen as I enter. The queen is screaming 'burn them' off in the distance, and I instantly freeze. Who is the queen burning? Why is the queen burning anyone? I brush it off and keep following my wife's scent, finally arriving at a certain room. I crack open the door and look inside, my wife and that bitch Rikke both lying in bed. Seems the affair didn't break them apart as thoroughly as I planned. A true shame.

I back away and quickly begin searching the palace, always making sure to be ready to flee. I find an abandoned wing covered in dust and mildew. Perfect. My flame spell licks an overturned table, the wood instantly dancing in flames. Within seconds the entire room is dressed in flames, the shimmering fire dancing to an unseen bard. I smile, hide outside the room, and scream, "Fire!". A guard rushes over, looks inside the wing, and disappears as quick as he can. I take the opportunity to slip away, heading back to my wife's room. Rikke almost catches me as she rushes by, but I manage to hide in the shadows in the lick of time. Two other women rush by, then everything settles. In an instant I'm running to the room, my hooves clacking against the tiled floor. I'm certain someone hears the noise they make, but I couldn't care less. I've been patient for far too long, it's time I get what I deserve. Right before I enter my wife's room I crouch down, sneaking inside. The Khajiit is dressing in her armor, her back turned to me. Everything is working out in my favor today. I manage to sneak up a few feet away from her, but then she notices my presence. She flips around in a panic, only half dressed. I act as quick as I can, standing and hopping to close the distance between us. When she flips around we're snout to snout, my wife shirtless and shoeless.

Her eyes show a thousand emotions at once, but I don't think she realizes who it is underneath this wolfish face. Before she can scream I smirk and whisper, "Good to see you again.". In one swift motion I yank the powder from my pocket and shove it in her face, the woman instinctively breathing in. Her one real eye goes in towards her nose, she gives one sleepy blink, and collapses to the ground. I use my four arms to pick her up, then cradle her in my bottom two appendages. I turn and carefully walk out, every single guard, citizen, and royal person too busy with the fire to notice me walk away. I just stole my wife, and right out of The Blue Palace! Oblivion, Rikke was twenty feet away at one point, she was just too busy trying to control a fire to turn around! It's as if I've stolen an Elder Scroll right out from beneath the emperor's ass, only I had a higher chance of getting caught. I can't leave out the gate, so I end up chucking my wife over the walls. She lands with a sickening _crunch, _but when I examine her I find she's fine. I heave her up, find my horse, and remount. I turn my horse back home, smacking it on the ass in a fury. My wife keeps bouncing up and down, her skull smacking against my horse's side. That might hurt her later, but I couldn't care less. I have my wife again. I took my wife, and there's nothing Rikke can do about it. Everything is perfect.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

The fire is finally put out, but the wing is burned to ashes. I sigh, give my orders, and begin to walk back to my room. Why didn't my lover come downstairs? She just said she needed to get dressed in her armor, then she would be right back down. Maybe she got tired or something, it really doesn't matter. Lydia and Jordis walk back up with me, the two walking almost hip to hip. They disappear into their room, giving me hurried goodbyes. Damn it must be fun to be young, I wasted my youth fighting and drinking. It never even occurred to me that I might want to have sex with someone, and everyone else soon learned to avoid me. I'm almost in my room when a whimper stops me, and when I turn around I see Sissel huddled in the shadows. In an instant I'm at her side, taking her in my arms and comforting her. I'm not her favorite person, but she knows me well enough. However, I eventually scream for Lydia when my child won't calm down. The housecarl complains about being interrupted, but stops when she sees the child. She kneels by my side and we both do our best to comfort her, and eventually Sissel calms down. When she's stopped crying I take her face in my hand and ask, "What happened?". She sniffles, then launches into an impossible tale. She heard the screams of 'fire', rushed out to see what was going on, and saw a strange sight.

A tremendous demon snaked its way into our room, and came back out with my lover in its arms. I pat Sissel on the back and tell her, "It's just a nightmare, I'll go get mom and she'll give you a hug. Okay?". When she nods I stand and go inside, calling for my lover. No answer. I roll my eyes and go over to the bed, but the lump I mistook for my lover is just a messy pile of pillows. I look around the room as thoroughly as I can, but my lover isn't anywhere. She's probably just in the kitchen. I walk by Lydia and Sissel, tell Lydia to watch my child, and begin looking for my lost lover. I check everywhere, and ask everyone if they've seen her. When I've scoured every inch of the palace I go back to Lydia, Sissel still sniffling. I sit down, take her in my arms, and ask, "What did the demon look like?". Lydia gives me a skeptical look, but listens just as intently to the child. She describes a monstrous creature, one with four arms and six horns. When she's done I pat her head and tell her, "Your mom just went out for a little air, she'll be back really soon. Go to bed.". She still looks terrified, but nods and goes back to her room. I stand up, look at Lydia, and tell her, "Get Jordis ready. We're going on a little hunt.". Lydia stands, then questions, "Why? You know where my thane is?". I nod and tell her, "Exactly.". There's only one group who would have a demon snatch my lover. The Crusaders.

* * *

**Elisif POV:**

My head throbs as I stumble from my bed, the screams of 'fire' now done. Damned peasants and servants, don't they know a queen needs her sleep? Running a kingdom is hard work, especially at this time. Stormcloaks, Crusaders, and assassins are everywhere. I can trust only myself, and maybe Falk. I've had my doubts about him in the past, but he demanded the healers keep treating me after they said the fever had fried my brain. Damned healers don't know shit, my brains just as good as it was before it got sick. Maybe even better. I burst from my room, my nightwear billowing around me. Where in oblivion is a servant when I need one? I scream for wine, and eventually a mousy looking cleaner brings me a bottle. I chug it, my headache slightly easing up. Finally. Drink and skooma are the only two things strong enough to chase off the constant banging in my head. Now that my headache is gone, I go downstairs.

Guards and servants are cleaning up the remains of the fire, and I instantly demand the culprits be burned alive. My anger flares when everyone ignores me, but Legate Rikke suddenly appears at my side. Damned bitch, a traitor to the crown. Little more than a wolf is a sheep's hide. I'll have to remember to have her executed. Burned at the stake would be nice, but as long she's dead I don't care. I could even string up the Khajiit's corpse next to her, and if I'm feeling festive I could add the children and houscarls. Wouldn't that be a sight to see? A traitor family strung up like they deserve. I might even let the peasants beat the bodies. The bitch clears her throat and asks, "My queen?". I snarl, "What?!". Rikke is the scum of the earth, and she needs to know it. The traitor ignores my tone and says, "My beloved has been taken by The Crusaders. I plan on executing them. Do I have your blessing?". I couldn't care less about her fuck buddy, the Khajiit is filthy and little more than a walking rug. Oblivion, the filthy cat should be little more than a blanket on my bed. But I need The Crusaders gone, so I nod and give her my blessing. When she's gone I sigh and walk away. I need a drink. A strong one.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

My head keeps hitting something, but I'm too far gone to care. What happened? I remember seeing something straight out of the pits of oblivion, then everything went black. Am I dead? I really hope I'm not dead, there's too much I haven't done. I never got to patch things up fully with Rikke, never got to marry her (assuming she wanted to and I gathered the courage to ask), and I never got to see Sissel and Britte grow up. My head hits something particularly hard, and I decide I'm not dead. Being dead wouldn't hurt this much. Would it? How would I know, I've never been dead. My ramblings are cut off by a whinny, and a jerking sensation. I hear movement, but don't have the strength to open my eyes. The sound of a gate being raised reaches my ears, and something heaves me into its four arms. Four? I'm still too far gone to open my eyes or truly care. Whoever is carrying me rushes a short distance, awkwardly opens a door, and steps inside someplace. I manage to open my eyes, two red tits and arms greeting me. I blink, and my dazed mind suddenly decides it's a good idea to squeeze the breast of whatever's carrying me. My declawed hand reaches up, groping the creature. In an instant I'm twisted and lifted up, looking the demon right in the face. Wolf snout, bat ears, goat horns, and-. I freeze, the creature looking me dead in the eyes. I know those eyes anywhere, they're the ones that looked down upon me while I cried and screamed 'rape'. Nameless smiles and whispers, "Miss me?".


	18. Kidnapping

**Aeta POV:**

My wife blinks, her jaw slowly working up and down. The building around us is silent, but the fire in the hall is burning bright. My builders have almost made the fort worthy of being called a small castle. It even has a pathetically tiny dungeon, a medium sized yard, extremely tall and thick walls, stables, areas to keep slaves, and a few rooms worthy of royalty. So, I have plenty of fun places to keep my wife. That is, when she's recovered. I give her a few more seconds of gasping like a slaughterfish, then do what I've been aching to do since she escaped me on the banks of The White River. I lean in and kiss her, but it's easily the most awkward and uncomfortable kiss in the history of Tamriel. We both have snouts, I can't really pucker my lips, and my wife snarls when she realizes what I'm trying to do. Damn it, I'd been looking forward to that. Oh well, I can do more with her soon enough. I go back to cradling her, the Khajiit still in a state of shock. I begin walking towards my room, my wife's furry body nuzzled against my abs. However, before we reach the room I feel a sharp bite to my tit, and punches begin to hit my stomach and chest. I look down and sigh at my wife's weak fighting, her fur standing on end. In one swift motion I'm holding her up by her throat, strangling her. She gasps and chokes as I walk, my sinewy fingers wrapped around her windpipe.

I kick open the door to my room, strutting inside. My wife panics even more, kicking and trying to scream. I kick my door shut, use my tail to lock it (a skill I'm particularly proud to have concurred), and knock the key under the door. I'll break down the door later, and have some builders fix it when I'm done. I needed to trap my wife in here with me, and now there's no way she can escape. The Khajiit is a hissing and swinging mess when I toss her on to the bed, already deciding how to celebrate my victory. I've already used her cunt, and my spiked prick would rip up her throat. I suppose I could always use my fingers and tongue like I use to, but that didn't teach her a thing. My wife is still fighting and I'm still thinking, so I don't even realize she's kicking at me. However, she gets my attention when her foot hits right in between my balls. I hit the floor instantly and hold in my screams as agonizing pain tears through my lower body. I curl up in the fetal position trying not to move, terrified I'm going to vomit. My balls feel like they're destroyed, and I can't even rock back and forth. Gods damn it, why on Tamriel are these things unprotected?! Being burnt alive was less painful than this, and that stopped a lot sooner. My wife successfully brought me to the ground, but is no longer attacking me. Instead she's looking for a way out, banging on the door and trying to bust it open. All I can do is lie on the ground and inwardly curse, my entire groin throbbing in pain. I swear to every god I'll destroy my wife's cunt for this!

After fifteen or so minutes I manage to get up, but all I can do is climb into bed. After another fifteen minutes I manage to force myself to sit up, and gently remove my hands from my groin. My cock was hanging out when I walked into the room, but now it's hidden so far up in its sheath that I can't even feel it. My testicles are already swelling, and I'm sure they'll be bruised tomorrow. I groan and lean over to my dresser, reaching inside and taking out a large bottle of whiskey. I chug the liquid and wait until it takes effect, then slowly stand up. My wife flips around and once charges me, but I'm ready. I can barely move and I'm extremely sore, but I manage to step to the side and grab her. She screams and fights as I push her on to the bed, all but collapsing onto the other woman. My groin is on fire, and I can't bring myself to touch the woman. So, I just keep lying on top of her. She screams and keeps fighting, but can't move my gigantic body. Finally, I roll off of my wife. She curses me and kicks, and I yank her over to mockingly cuddle with her. I want to enjoy her presence at the very least, I can always fuck her later. I nuzzle her neck with my snout, the woman retaliating with a punch to my abs. I snarl and find renewed strength, once again climbing on top of her. If this bitch has enough stupidity and energy to punch me, then she sure as oblivion has enough energy to take my fingers in her cunt. It's time to finally get what I deserve.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

The ship heaves and bounces along, barely able to keep the tide at bay. It's been almost a week since I left my home, and our hold is now filled to the brim with slaves. If Aeta wants me to do this more than once, then she's crazier than I thought. The seas are rough, we've lost siblings, and the fact that I'm a slaver makes me sick to my stomach. I'm a gigantic demonic creature, I've forcibly taken a man as a lover, and I have a hundred or so enslaved people below deck, but I still want to hang on to a shred of my humanity. The full consequences of my actions have finally begun to sink in, and I can't bring myself to look in the mirror. I just wanted to see my sister again, I never wanted this. The family barely survived the first war, we can't start another. Besides, we have enough money and supplies to relax for the rest of our lives. Why can't Aeta just accept that? I can understand her yearning for her wife, but she could simply kidnap her and take her pleasure. My thoughts are interrupted by the ship once again tossing. I lean my head over the side, vomiting. I'll talk to Aeta when I get back, maybe I can convince her simply to kidnap her wife. The Khajiit is little more than a slavering beast, she should be honored to get to suck my sister's cock. Besides, she might even come to enjoy becoming little more than a whore. The ship heaves for a third time, this time more violent than the last. My thoughts are completely cut off as I lean over the side, my empty stomach once again trying to purge itself. It's going to be a long night.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I spur my horse on faster, Lydia and Jordis at my sides. A small band of guards follow us, each with a determined look underneath their helms. We aren't exactly sure where my wife or The Crusaders are, but we plan on finding them. A peasant that was caught in the crossfire lost a leg to their leader, and he thinks he recalls watching one member of their order ride over a ridge. It's not much, but it's all we have. Once we're over the ridge I stop, and motion for the head dog trainer to come forward. The three dogs he has are gigantic, slaver running from their snarling jaws as they bark their discontent. The three dogs sniff, but only whine and keep barking. I sigh and dismount, searching the ground for signs of life. After two hours of searching I find horse prints, and call the search party over to me. The dogs find the scent in a second, howling and pawing at the ground. When I'm remounted the trainer releases his dogs, the mastiffs bounding away. I sound my war horn and kick my horse, closely following the tracking dogs. Lydia and Jordis ride right behind me, but the rest of the party falls behind. It truly doesn't matter, they'll be able to follow three sets of horse tracks. If they can't, then I'll strip all of them of their guard title as soon as I get back to them. Suddenly, the hounds stop in the middle of a gigantic field. When we reach them I hear them whimpering, their noses flaring as they sniff the air. This must have been where the lone rider met up with his group, and why the dogs are having trouble finding his scent.

I dismount and give one of the hounds a swift kick, repeating the motion when he growls. The beast is smart enough to not retaliate, but simply moves out of the way of my foot. I curse him and go to kick another dog, but stop when I notice something. The ground has recently been repacked, a small mound disturbing the dirt. I kneel down and begin scrabbling away at the loose soil, ignoring the whimpering and sniffing hounds that surround me. After a few minutes, my hands brush against cloth. I stop digging, grab onto the material, and yank with all my might. The body erupts from the soil in a spray of dirt, the helmet crushed into a odd shape. I recognize the uniform of a Crusader, and carefully take off the destroyed helm. The face below is smashed and beaten, but the tattoos all over the skull tell me that this man was a slave. I'm not sure why The Crusaders buried him (probably to try and hide the body), and I don't particularly care. This explains why the search dogs stopped, they'd found that they were looking for. The sound of horses and screams makes me aware that Jordis, Lydia, and the rest of the party have caught up with me. I remount, and yell for the trainer. He quickly comes forward, the mastiffs bounding up to meet him. I snarl, "Your dogs found the damned body, now have them attach to the scent we want.". He nods and goes to work.

The sun is setting by the time his hounds latch on to another scent, but the party keeps going. As we ride I make myself a promise that I'll destroy The Crusaders, rescue my lover, and make sure nothing like this ever happens again. My lover and I have been separated too many times, too many things have happened to both of us, and we shouldn't need to fear that the other is going to die. Oblivion, I might actually retire when we return to Solitude. That is, if Elisif allows me to. The queen and I are on good terms, so I don't see why she wouldn't let me. Damn, if I'm going to retire I might as well do it with style. I could take the family wherever they wanted, and I might even consider marrying my lover once we move past our current problems. I suddenly become aware that I'm daydreaming, and shake those thoughts from my head. I can't start daydreaming like a schoolgirl, I need to act like a warrior and think about battle. Once The Crusaders are gone I'll need to focus on the plague in Solitude, three more people became infected this morning. When that's taken care of, then I suppose I can finally relax. But until then I need to be on guard, and always prepare for the unexpected. I'm suddenly forced to rein my horse to a halt, a gigantic cave entrance in front of us. The hounds are snapping and barking, pointing at the cave. Looks like we're here.


	19. A New Pair of Gloves

The guards and soldiers gather round the cave entrance, waiting for me to give a speech. I wasn't prepared to make one, so I simply recycle my old speech from The Siege of Whiterun. "This is it men! This is an important day for the Empire and for the Legion. And for all of Skyrim. This is the day we send a message to The Crusaders and the rebel citizens who support them. But make no mistake. What we do here today, we do for Skyrim and her people. By cutting out the disease of this radical organization, we will make Solitude and her people whole again! Ready now! Everyone, with me! For the Empire! For the Legion! Rrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!". I turn and barrel down into the cave, Jordis and Lydia flanking me. I forgot that the cave would be dark as pitch, and I'm forced to briefly stop to light a torch. Not the most inspirational thing in the world, but I have to do it. We reach a fork in the cave and I halt, allowing my men to catch up with me. I quietly command, "Have a few of you stay behind, make sure nobody slips by. The rest of you follow me, we're going down the right tunnel.". Everyone nods in agreement, twenty or so men remaining behind to guard the fork. As we go down the tunnel I carefully listen for noise, the sound of quiet murmuring catching my attention. A few people are talking to each other, and I have a good idea of who they are.

My fears are concerned a few moments later when I reach a large cavern, ten 'Crusaders' standing in the middle. A table is in between them, some sort of meeting I suppose. I cut their conversation short by screaming at the top of my lungs, charging at the men. They all laugh in glee, drawing their weapons and magic. A few of my men hesitate, but none of them flee. I try to be the first to hit the enemy, but a few of my soldiers manage to overtake me. Probably for the best, the first men that reach them burn alive or lose their heads. However, soon the tide turns in our favor. The Crusaders still manage to kill a few of our men, but our sheer numbers overwhelm them. They all die screaming, hundreds of swords hacking them to pieces. My men step aside to allow me to see the bodies, but at this point I truly don't care. I find another tunnel and follow it, the miniature army following me. It's easy to tell the next cavern is the main one. Not because of the size, but because of the hundreds of Crusaders that are packed in there. They all turn around when they hear me enter, my men flowing out after me. The leader stands on a pedestal, a burning torch in her hand. She says one word, "Surrender.". I answer the same way, "Never.". Our two armies seem to explode, charging at one another. I raise my sword and give an inhuman scream to rally my men, then charge the oncoming Crusaders. If today is my final day, then I'm going to take my enemies down with me.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I hiss and grab on to my wife's hips, trying to keep her in place. Damn, she didn't fight nearly as much last time. She doesn't have claws, but her teeth and fists are still formidable weapons. I'm attempting to pin her to the bed so I can fuck her, and the Khajiit is more than displeased with that idea. I expected her to fight a little, but not nearly as much as this. The last time I fucked her she simply gave in. What happened to all of my hard work? My wife once again kicks out, barely missing my cock and balls. I snarl and bite into her shoulder, the Khajiit roaring and once again kicking. I yank my hips away and get kicked in the thigh, but that's a major improvement over the genitals. I finally pin the Khajiit, her back pressing against my chest. I grin as my teeth dig deeper into my wife's flesh, blood beginning to fill my mouth. I reach down and gingerly touch my cock, hissing in pain when my fingers brush against the tender flesh. I don't even think about touching my testicles, that would probably send me into a fit. My mountain lion genitalia is going to be out of commission for a while, but I can still fuck my wife. In my first life I took her with my fingers, and that'll do well enough now. I use my versatile tail to yank open the drawer behind me, awkwardly digging around for the olive oil. I find the skin and wrap the red appendage around it, carefully taking it out of the drawer.

I manage to toss it up near my shoulder, then use my hand to pick up the sack of liquid. I shove the tip of the sack into my wife's entrance, preparing her for my fingers. She roars and fights back, but I think I know a way to stop her. I once again use my tail to dig around in the drawer, taking out my cloaking potion. I release my wife's shoulder and take the potion, groaning as my body changes. Then, I flip my wife over and grin as she sees my face. I chuckle and tell her, "Remember that stranger than comforted you oh so long ago?". She shakes her head and whispers, "No...". I shake my head and whisper, "Yes. You fucked and sucked me until your little whore heart was content. You cheated on Rikke with the woman who you rightfully belong to.". Another thought comes to me and I whisper, "Want to know how those panties got under your bed? I planted them there. I'm the reason you cheated on Rikke.". My wife shakes her head in defiance and answers, "I'm the reason I cheated on Rikke. I had full control of my actions, and willingly took you to bed.". Her face twist in anger as she says, "Although if I had known I would be bedding a snake, then I would have reconsidered.". Her face twist even more as she snarls, "All you're guilty of is **BEING A COMPLETE PSYCHOPATH!**". Before I can react she yanks her head forward, headbutting me and nearly breaking my snout.

I bring my fist up and smash it into her face, the woman continuing to fight. Fuck this, it's time to get back to business. I hop down her body, rip open her legs, and take a moment to admire the sight before me. It would be a lot prettier if it was leaking my seed, or if my wife wasn't continuing to fight me. I sigh and shove three fingers into her, the woman screaming. She keeps fighting, but two of my four arms easily subdue her. Damn, I'm starting to like this extra appendages thing. Two of my hands pin her shoulders, one works on her cunt, and one roughly claws her right tit. The Khajiit herself is bucking, kicking, screaming, and fighting. It's perfectly fine, she'll give up soon enough. However, it takes a lot longer than I thought. I'm pounding into her cunt for a good thirty minutes before she final goes limp, too tired to keep fighting. Perfect. Well, almost perfect. My wrist is killing me, and my fingers are locked into position. I curse my luck and pull out of her, her cunt now dry and scrapping against my skin. I shake my hand, force the fingers to bend, and rub my throbbing wrist. Damn my wife to oblivion, she ruined a perfectly good coupling. I kick her leg with one of my hooves and snarl, "Don't you dare think for a moment I'm done with you. I'm going to come back in a few hours, and I'm bringing a skinning knife. Before the day's over I'll have some chestnut fur gloves.". The look on her face relays her fear and terror. Perfect, that'll teach her.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

The second Nameless is gone I begin looking for a way out, my heart threatening to break my ribs. This isn't happening. This CAN'T be happening. I mauled Nameless, and Rikke swore she killed her. Rikke. My thoughts can't help turn to her. She has no idea where I am, nobody does. It's exactly like last time, but this time Nameless is suppose to be dead and there's no way out of this cell. My 'wife' is going to make good on the promise she made oh so many months ago. I'm going to become her sexual plaything, and only know this room. I'm going to die in here, and it's probably going to be because Nameless simply bores of me. I go back to looking for a way out. The last time my wife had me I simply gave in, almost drowning in my self-pity. I can't do that now, doing that now means death. I have too much to live for, and refuse to allow Nameless to finally have me the way she wants. I'm still banging on the door when I remember I'm a werewolf. _Why the oblivion didn't I remember that earlier?! _I could have killed Nameless, prevented her forcing herself upon me, and ran back to Solitude. I don't have time to smack myself over the head for my stupidity, all I can do is move on. I quickly transform, roaring in triumph. I smash open the door, running free. Servants, sisters, and brothers scream as I rush past them, my tongue lolling out. I don't even her the bow being snapped.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

My wife falls like a sack of potatoes, the paralyzing potion instantly going to work. I _tsk _her as I walk over to her, motioning for my siblings to carry her to the dungeon. The Khajiit remains frozen the entire way, her red eyes still gleaming with a tint of freedom. Damn, I forgot she turn into a slavering wold monster. Thankfully she did it now, so I can give her the potion to suppress it. As if on cue one of my brothers hands me it, then makes himself scarce. When I arrive at the dungeon I find my wife already chained up, her frozen body dangling from the wall. I pour the potion down her open mouth, the werewolf slowly going back to her original form. Then, I give her the antidote to her frozen state. She doesn't even bother fighting, just hangs there in defeat. I laugh, strut over to her, and slam my knife right beside her face. The metal sinks into the wooden wall, quivering ominously. My grin only grows as I remove the knife, deciding where to cut my wife.

She once again starts fighting, but I quickly chain her legs. There, now I can get to work. My short knife is perfect for the job, never cutting into muscle or fat. I first score the surface, cutting lightly to be sure of depth and direction. As I cut I reflect the skin by lifting up and peeling back with one hand, while bringing the knife in as flat to the skin as possible to cut away connective tissue. I easily cut the skin off of her stomach. Below the breast, above the waist, and stopping at her sides. The piece of flesh I pull away is of decent size, the chestnut pelt covered in blood. My wife was fighting all the way through, but is now simply crying as I examine her pelt. A quick flame spell stops the bleeding, assuring my wife won't die of blood loss. I smile, toss the knife to the side, and leave. I have some new gloves to make.

* * *

**Tiny Note: I have an ending planned out for this story. I have no idea if it'll take two chapters or twenty, but I know how I want everything to work out. So, be prepared for an end to come at any time. Now, I've already begun to toy with four ideas for another story. I'll only start writing after this story is over, so don't expect it to come out before then. **

**My first idea is ****Urzoga gra-Shugurz/Female Khajiit Dragonborn. This story will focus on what happens once the Dragonborn is thrown into Cidhna Mine, but gets caught trying to escape after slaying The Forsworn. It'll take place purely in the prison, but the Dragonborn might earn her freedom near the end of the story. Since the Dragonborn is the only prisoner Urzoga is forced to guard a prison with only one criminal, and makes her hatred of the Khajiit known early on. However, circumstances force the two to interact on a daily basis, and only time will tell how the romance manages to blossom.**

******My second idea is ****Bralsa Drel/Female Khajiit Dragonborn. This will focus purely on Solstheim, and heavily involve Raven Rock and the politics of Morrowind. This one might be a small challenge, but I think I could pull it off just fine. It'll once again involve the Dragonborn attempting to help the island, and Bralsa Drel slowly relying on the Dragonborn more and more to the point where the Khajiit can't even leave Raven Rock. It might also involve Bralsa's struggle with her ever-growing dependency on alcohol.**

**********My third idea is ****Faralda/Female Khajiit Dragonborn. I'm thinking this one will focus on a Dragonborn that's terrible at magic, and maybe even a little bit afraid of it. She'll struggle throughout the entire College of Winterhold quest line, but somehow become the head mage. However, she'll finally decide it's time to do something about her lack of magic. She'll need a tutor, and Faralda is the only one willing to help her out. This will also focus on the hate of magic wielders in Skyrim (especially Winterhold).**

**************The final idea is Potema/Female Khajiit Dragonborn. The Dragonborn will lose in the final battle with the wolf queen, and have her throat slit. Without her disturbance the queen is finally able to return to Tamriel, and she has her first bodyguard lying on the floor in front of her throne. This won't be a lovey dovey story, and involves a coup d'état, necrophilia, defilement of graves, and the continual and multiple resurrection of a body at peace. The Khajiit will be little more than a mindless thrall of the wolf queen, and it'll be similar to how the romance happened in _Disgusting _and _Love._  
**

**************That's all I have to say. Just tell me what you think, I love hearing from readers and fellow writers.**

**************-KhajiitWarriorSam**


	20. Traitor

I hum as I work the slab of my wife's flesh, slicing patterns into the still warm fur. When I've cut out enough fur for gloves I have a decent amount left over, but push it to the side for later. Then, I grab a sewing needle and begin making the actual gloves. My wife's flesh is warm and bleeding, but I'm still able to finish the gloves. However, I only made two of them. It's just so natural to forget about my extra arms. I shrug it off and put the gloves on my dominant hands, my clawed one nearly ripping through the Khajiit's flesh. I can't help smiling as I look at the gloves, the clothing still oozing red liquid. A knocking on my door interrupts my admiring.

I sigh, stand, and make my way over to the door. My brother gulps when he sees the look on my face, but manages to gather the courage to say, "Sarieh has returned. She's put the slaves up in the holds, taken care of her crew, and wants an audience with you.". I nod and snarl, "Lead me to her.". He turns and flees, but I always manage to stay only a few feet behind him. Through twist and turns, up stairs and down, and finally we reach Srieh's room. It appears she moved to be closer to the slaves, although I have no idea why she would want to do that. I shrug it off and walk inside, dismissing my brother before I go. Sarieh waits for me at a table, a glare smoldering on her face. I can't help sighing. This isn't going to be fun.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

I impatiently sit in my seat, my foot tapping. I've heard all about Aeta's exploits while I've been gone, and I ever stopped by the dungeon to look at the Khajiit. When I saw her the skin on her stomach was missing, her shoulders were dislocated due to hanging for hours, and I'm certain she was at least somewhat claimed by my sister. I would have liked to question the beast, but she was unconscious for some reason. It crossed my mind to try to rouse her, but didn't care enough. However, I still care about the possible consequences of what my sister has done.

Kidnapping her wife seemed like a good idea on paper, but it's clear it isn't a good idea in action. I'm certain my ship was spotted on the way into the harbor, and if Rikke sends a scout out we're all fucked. If the scout dies she'll send others until one finally comes back. The surviving scout will report slaving, a highly forbidden practice in Skyrim. Rikke will lead a charge, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. If Rikke finds her lover in her current condition, then she'll torture all of us to death. The smart thing to do would be to slit the Khajiit's throat, and burn the body when we're done. But my sister is stubborn and prideful, so she'll never consent to that. As if on cue my sister walks in, her head held high and her tail swinging. She scoffs when she sees me, pulling out her chair and flopping down into it.

When she's settled she snarls, "What?". I rub my temples as I tell her, "Abandon this. Abandon all of this. Kill the slaves, kill the Khajiit, and take the family up into the hills of The Reach. We can't win this, we can't even come close. Save the family, your pride, and time by taking my advice.". Aeta slams her fist on the table, roaring, "You dare to question me?!". I sigh and nod, then tell her, "We've made grave mistakes, but we can fix them.". My sister suddenly looks paranoid as she whispers, "Who's gotten these ideas in your skull?".

Her face suddenly twist in anger as she snarls, "It was my wife, wasn't it?! I swear I'll cut that woman's tongue out!". Before I can react she violently stands, turning and storming away. What happened to my calm and calculating sister I left behind? I don't have time to contemplate that, I get up and charge after her. When I finally catch up to her she's pulling her wife's jaws apart, the beast kicking and screaming. Aeta snarls and pulls a knife from her belt, shoving it into the woman's mouth. Holy fuck, she can't do that! Kill the woman, but don't cut out her tongue! If Rikke gets her back and she's unable to talk, then she'll make sure to do the same to us before killing us. I rush over to the grappling pair, yanking the demon off the woman. The Khajiit's eyes betray her thankfulness, her tongue only slightly scratched.

I couldn't care less about the woman, but I'm at least glad she still has her tongue. I turn around to face my sister, the punch nearly knocking me to the ground. I manage to steady myself, grabbing on to the wall for support. My sister's eyes flare in anger as she snarls, "Traitor!". I shake my head and explain, "I'm not a traitor, I'm just watching out for you.". Aeta once again swings at me, but I dodge her. However, I can't dodge the hoof that collides with my face. The beating is quick, but extremely painful. I try to fight against my sister, but she's far more powerful.

When she final stops attacking me she pushes me to the ground, my sides heaving as I pant and try to regain my thoughts. Aeta stands over me, snarling, "Leave. I never want to see your face again.". I open my mouth to say something, but my sister throws me out of the room. She slams the door on me, the last sight I see the Khajiit struggling against her bonds. I slowly stand, my backward knees shaking. I shake my head, grim acceptance washing over me. I brought my sister back to life, did her bidding, and didn't kill her 'pet' when I should have. If she wants to call me a traitor after that, then I'll show her a traitor. I go to the stables, find Aeta's favorite horse, and mount it. My siblings give me odd looks as I leave, but I couldn't care less. If I'm going to be called a traitor, then I'll be a bigger traitor than Ulfric Stormcloak.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

My wife screams as I unchain her, blood slowly leaking out of her mouth. I haven't taken out her tongue, but I will as soon as I'm done taking my pleasure from her. As I unchain her my wife kicks out, scoring another hit to my balls. I once again find myself on the ground, cradling my injured testicles. My wife tried to escape last time, but this time she presses the attack. I allow her to score a few hits, then grab on to her foot and yank her leg out from under her. She falls to the ground on her back, and I quickly climb on top of her. My balls are going to be heavily bruised and swollen, but I'm determined to use my wife like the whore she is.

But first I need to do something about her dislocated shoulders, it won't be any fun if I end up having to saw off her arms. So, I reach down and grab her arms, twisting and pulling on her joints. She screams loud enough to hurt my ears, the joints going _pop_ as they're forced to return to where they belong. I smile at my work, now time to get to the fun part.

I reach down, bite onto my wife, and force my cock from its sheath. Our roars of pain mingle, hers from her shoulder and mine from my penis. I wait a few moments, then release my wife and look down. My penis has never been attractive, but now it's downright hideous. The red and throbbing organ is now speckled with blue and black, a few of the spikes broken or missing.

The remaining spikes are surrounding the head and base of my decent sized cock, a few spikes gracing the sides of the penis. And, now that it's out it refuses to go back inside. My admiring is cut off by a foot hitting me, barely brushing my cock. I pin my wife down more securely, rip apart her legs, and snarl, "Bitch!". She keeps fighting, still trying to find a way to kick my genitals. Damn it, I need to teach her why she should never cross me. Then, I'll rip her tongue out.

I line up with her cunt and fire my hips forward, but only the head manages to go in. I snarl and keep pushing, my wife screaming and flailing beneath me. I keep trying to fit, but it's just not happening. My wife isn't making it easy, she's dry as a bone, I don't have any oil, and my cock is larger than a normal man's. Damn, I'll use her cunt later, right now I'll use her mouth. My wife seems relieved when I finally pull out, a bit of blood sticking to the tip of my penis. However, she fights even harder when I line the head of my cock up with her lips, but she isn't strong enough to stop me from ripping her jaws open.

I can't shove my cock down her throat without killing her, but I don't care if her mouth is ripped apart. It might even make it easier to cut out that wagging tongue of hers. My wife tries to punch my balls as I fuck her mouth, but a hoof to her wrist stops her. I smile as she flails, spasms, and tries to scream around the penis shoved in her mouth. I consider calling her demeaning names and beating her, but it takes enough energy trying to hold her in one place.

My non-dominant hands are yanking at her mane, trying to add a little humiliation to the situation. Finally, I feel my beaten balls clenching. I freeze, the Khajiit fighting with renewed vigor as she realizes what's going on. I'm smiling to myself at a job well done, until I realize I've taken my hands off her skull to adjust my sweaty hair. My wife seems to realize it to because she suddenly bites down.

My head is the only part that's still in her mouth, and it's a particularly thin area. My scream of agony and fear is probably heard throughout all of Skyrim, my cock still in my wife's biting jaws. I begin punching her head with all four of my fist, but that doesn't stop the woman. As she bites she continually punches my balls, the pain almost causing me to pass out. But my demonic blood is strong, and I somehow manage to keep standing. The woman kneeling before me finally releases my cock for a nanosecond, then bites down harder than before. My fists rain down even faster and harder than before, but I'm only able to free myself when my wife stops.

And, the only time she stops is when she's successfully done her job. When I stumble away from her I roar even louder, sliding to the ground as I cup my spewing cock. I'm going in to shock, but I force myself to use a flame spell on my penis. It stops the bleeding, and numbs the organ a little. I can't stand, but I manage to crawl over to my wife. I grab her throat and slam her to the ground, shakily looming over her.

I'm heaving, but manage to whisper, "Bit-". I'm cut off by my wife spitting a mix of blood, seed, and cock skin into my face. The goop sticks to my face, the head of my cock hitting me before rolling away. I shake my head and roar at my wife, the woman not even blinking at my mighty sound. I manage to snarl, "Fine, let's get to work.". I jam my hand into her mouth. I don't have my knife with me, but my claws will do just fine.

* * *

**Note: I've made a decision to begin chopping paragraphs into smaller chunks. I enjoy it, and I hope you do also.**


	21. Teeth

**Rikke POV:**

The men around me are a flurrying of fighting, each soldier taking on as many crusaders as he can. The Crusaders don't have numbers on their side, but they're as brave as wolverines. Even facing three men they fight as hard as they can, trying to take their enemies down with them. However, that isn't what matters to me. Their leader is cleverly trying to slip away, edging towards the exit as her companions die for her. I plan on catching her, beating the shit out of her, and finding out where my lover is. But the wall of bodies around me is hard to get through, not to mention the fact my age and inactivity are finally catching up to me. My sword strikes slower than I would like, I can't seem to parry as well as I use to, and I can feel sweat soaking me until I'm a walking and roasting tin can of meat. I try to push my way past everyone, but it's nearly impossible. Finally, Jordis and Lydia notice my fight.

They charge over to me, their youth and spirit practically flinging the enemies away. I'm extremely jealous, but I push that feeling aside and run past them. The lead crusader has disappeared down the hall, but I'm right behind her. The sound of fighting follows me, and it upsets me that I can't be two places at once. However, I stop feeling that way when I reach the end of the hall. It's one giant room, furnished like a room fit for Queen Elisif. And, a crusader is busy packing her bags. Looks like she was planning on running the entire time. That'll make slitting her throat a little bit easier. My footsteps cause the woman to look up, two powerful spell crackling in her hands. I raise my sword in a threatening manner, simply telling the bitch, "Release her.". She has the guts to snarl, "Who?".

I shake my head and tell her, "Don't fucking play games with me. We both know exactly who you have locked up in this screwed up place. You called upon a demon to steal her away in the night.". The woman scoffs and says, "We Crusaders don't require the aid of the daedra. We don't have anyone.". I begin slowly edging closer, distracting the woman. I pretend to get angrier than I already am and snarl, "You have slaves, and the woman I love. Give her to me now, then I might consider throwing you in the dungeons forever.". I can practically feel the woman's eyes light up as she whispers, "Your lover was taken?". She practically screams, "The gods are showing their hatred of your kind! I don't have your disgusting whore, but the gods do. Repent your sins, pray, and hope your 'lover' has the sense to do the same. If you both redeem yourselves, then you can live the remainder of your lives as friends. Like the gods intended.".

I'm still edging close, still talking, "My lover wasn't taken by a god, she was taken by you. Now, _**DIE**_!". I leap at her, the woman too ill-prepared to fire her spells at me. One hit and she's on the ground, and my pride is raised. The woman prepares more spells, but a hard stomp to each wrist stops her. I hover over the down defenseless woman, kicking her head. She screams and tries to rise, a foot to the ribs stopping her. I'm not sure how long I kick the woman, but eventually it becomes clear she isn't long for this world. Seems I was kicking harder than I thought. So, I sheath my weapon, yank her up by the front of her shirt, and snarl, "Where the oblivion is my lover?". She laughs and shakes her head, her last words, "I was telling the truth.". I drop her corpse, spinning around in terror when someone clears their throat. Lydia raises her hands in surrender and says, "The battle is won, and _something_ has arrived to see you.". I sigh and put up my weapon, following the housecarl.

* * *

The monster before me is hideous, and looks like something straight out of oblivion. It's patiently sitting on a rock outside the cave, a horse nibbling of some grass beside it. As I approach it I notice it sort of looks like the demon my child described, and in an instant I stop and motion for Lydia to stand beside me. I tell her, "Ready your bow and hide, take that monster down if I yell for you to.". She nods and rushes away, and all I can do is hope she's a good shot. Then, I walk over to the monster. It looks up when it sees me, its human eyes strangely familiar. I halt a few feet away from it, questioning the monster, "What are you?". The demon chuckles and shakes its head, then goes on to ask, "You don't recognize me?". When I shake my head the demon and sighs and explains, "I'm Sarieh.". It takes a few seconds before I remember who Sarieh is, and in an instant I'm more confused that ever. I motion at Sarieh's body and ask, "What happened?".

Sarieh's little black eyes seem to shimmer with sadness as she tells me, "I made a mistake, a terrible terrible mistake. But that isn't important, I have some information that you would kill for.". My heart seems to freeze in a mix of panic and hope, so I ask, "What?". Sarieh smiles and shakes her head, telling me, "I want immunity.". Obviously Sarieh has done something bad, but I want to find my lover (if that's even the information she has). So, I ignore her crimes and nod my head. Sarieh smiles and says, "Nameless has her.". I glare at her and growl, "Not funny. Get the fuck out of my sight.". Sarieh looks a little startled, but pushes her point, "Nameless truly took her, and the last I saw she was trying to rip out the Khajiit's tongue.". In three short steps I'm in front of her, my sword at her neck.

I once again snarl, "Not. Funny. Tell me where the fuck my lover is, or I'll cut you into a thousand tiny little pieces.". Sarieh doesn't look intimidated, but sighs and says, "Okay, I'll tell you the whole story.". She tells me an impossible tale of sacrifices, daedric rituals, and a skull. When I hear about the skull an extreme feeling of guilt washes over me. If what she says is true, then in a way I'm responsible. However, then she goes on to tell a tale of slaving, kidnapping, and skinning. I'm still not entirely sure if it's true, but I can't take any chances. I command the guards to sweep the area, have three take Sarieh into custody (the demon doesn't fight or protest), and call Lydia and Jordis over to me. I quickly explain the situation, both women looking both look ready to say something, but Lydia is the first to ask, "What do we do?".

I sigh and answer, "If my lover isn't in the cave, then we'll lead the men to Ygfa's old fort. Even if Aeta isn't there, there's still a chance we might stop some slaving from going on.". They both nod, and a guard begins strutting up to me. He shakes his head and says, "Nobody but Crusaders. We made a mass grave, The Crusaders that surrendered are being lead to jail, and the slaves are being taken back to Solitude. What should we do?". I rub my temples and order, "Execute every Crusader, hang the bodies from the walls. Free the slaves, give them the housing we use for the poor. Have the captain take half the men, send the other half over here.". The guard nods and scuttles away to fulfill my orders. It takes a while, but eventually the men I need are gathered around me. I explain the situation (besides the lover part) and yell, "Follow me! To victory!". I turn and run, my men following me. If Nameless is truly alive, then there's oblivion to pay.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

My vision is still blurry, blinking can't shake away the thick fog through which I see everything. My shoulders are once again dislocated, the joints throbbing with renewed effort. A rat scuttles by my foot and I open my mouth to shoo it away, but the glob of blood that flies from my jaws hits it dead on the back. It squeals and runs away, leaving a trail of sticky footprints. I quickly close my mouth, blood still filling it. I curse the woman who brought this on me, and the woman in question walks in only a few seconds after I've cursed her. Damn her, damn her to oblivion. My 'wife' smiles when she sees me, a skinning knife in her hand. Fear freezes me, the gloves Aeta wears reminders of how psychotic the woman is. She notices me staring and laughs, putting the knife away.

She shakes her head and says, "Next time, I have something else in mind.". A caliper is pulled from her pocket, and my wife moves to stroke my jaw. I yank back, now terrified. That only seems to anger her further. She roughly rips my mouth open with her left hands, blood pouring out of my mouth. Aeta pauses to admire her work, then shoves the device into my mouth. She hums as she wraps it around a tooth, and begins to pull. My gurgling screams echo around the room, the tooth's roots refusing the leave my gums. However, the rest of the tooth has other ideas. The bone shatters, adding shards of tooth to my blood filled mouth. Aeta chuckles and grabs on to another tooth, this one more willing to give. It yanks from my skull, my already thrashing body now going a sick and twisted dance. My wife pockets the tooth and puts the calipers to the side, but once again forces my mouth open to reach inside.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I peer inside the Khajiit's mouth, looking near the back. I yanked out two of her molars yesterday, and the blood clots are coming along nicely. Too nicely, I want this bitch to have a new definition of pain. I use my claws to yank the clot out of the gum, leaving a dry socket in its place. My wife's gargling screams never stopped, her cheeks are now soaked in tears, and her body continuing to dance. I moan as I feel my stitched cock begin to wake up, the sight before me sexier than a naked whore holding a bottle of beer. I unchain her, her useless arms offering no assistance. Her face hits the ground, a _crack _telling me she's broken her nose. Perfect.

I force her arms back where they belong, the _pops _strangely satisfying. Then, I yank her over to the middle of the room. My hoof kicks her onto her stomach, the woman gargling and crying. Her spasms are over with, the Khajiit now too broken or tired to keep up her dancing. I rip her legs open, lining up my stitched penis with her cunt after applying some dwarven oil to her entrance. We both roar in pain as I enter her, but for different reasons. My prick is sensitive and still healing, but I'll muddle through. I begin pounding into her like a wolf during the mating season, my wife's cunt ripping around my spiked prick.

Blood seems to be everywhere. Gushing from my wife's cunt, pouring out of her mouth, and leaking from the scratches I'm putting on her breast and back. It's beautiful. However, our fucking is interrupted by one of my sisters bursting in. I turn and roar at her, the young girl cowering. I snarl, "What?". She gulps and says, "A party of riders is coming to us, a general is leading them.".

She takes a deep breath and continues, "They're sending some scouts ahead, what should we do?". I've been preparing for this moment for months, and quickly give her the orders. When she leaves I turn back to my wife, the woman weakly trying to stand. She gets to her knees, but slips and falls on her own blood. I smile, leave, and return with a butcher's knife. I walk over to the woman, yanking her dominant hand out away from her body. She sees what I'm about to do and desperately shakes her head, begging me not to do it. I look at her with fake pity, then a grin splits my face as I bring the knife down in a large arch.


	22. Savior

I clean my butcher's knife as I walk to my room, tossing the weapon to the side once I'm inside. I dawn my armor, the ebony metal gleaming in the light. When the special armor is on I begin walking to the stables, the tiny castle coming alive as everyone prepares for a siege. When I reach the stables I mount a random horse, my guards already assembled. When we're all gathered we set out, our horse's hooves kicking up dust as they run. We don't have to ride far, the miniature army almost at out gates. When they see us a small portion begin riding faster than the others, and I swear I can see Rikke leading them.

Sure enough, when out two groups meet Rikke is there. My form is obscured by the armor, my hated enemy only seeing me as another warrior. I ride away from my small group, Rikke riding away from hers. We meet in the middle, our horses sniffing one another. Rikke begins the conversation by saying, "Greetings. Who are you?". I already have my answered planned and tell her, "I'm the leader of the remainder of Ygfa's children.". Rikke's eyes glower as she says, "Sarieh was their last known leader, and she's with me.". I nod in agreement and lie, "Sarieh sold her soul to a daedric prince, so we removed her from office. I lead now. Why are you here?". Rikke eyes me as she says, "We've heard some disturbing reports concerning the remainder of Ygfa's children.".

I feign ignorance and question her, "What reports?". Rikke tells me, "Slavery and kidnapping.". I shake my head and tell her, "We've recently taken in some infected people who were spurred from Solitude, but none against their will. Now, might we sit down somewhere and have a real conversation? I don't feel comfortable speaking to you while your army descends on my household.". I can see the hesitance and doubt in Rikke's eyes, but she motions for one of her guards to come forward. She commands him, "Tell the march to halt. All of you follow me, we're going to speak inside the fort.". I can't help smiling as Rikke swallows the bait, accepting my invitation without thinking it all the way through.

When the guard leaves Rikke tells me, "Lead the way.". I turn my horse around and kick him, the beast running away as quickly as he can. My siblings follow me, the soldiers following them. Rikke spurs her horse up beside mine, riding beside one of her most hated enemies. Unknowingly, but still doing it. As we ride I examine the woman, pride filling my chest. Her armor is a little tighter on her, her motions are a little slower, and I see grey invading her hair. She's old, slowing down, and losing her muscles. She doesn't deserve to have a wife like mine, Rikke would never be able to fuck her properly. Besides, the old woman looks about ready to die of stress. But that doesn't matter, soon enough I won't have to worry about any of that. Soon enough.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I slowly ride into the fort, thousands of memories coming back to me. But some memories stick harder than the others. Riding up to see my squire running up to me, Nameless eyeing her from the doorway. My squire sitting at the end of the dining table, Nameless practically molesting her where she sat. Nameless killing Ygfa and taking control, then offering to follow me to Riften. I was a fool. I should have executed Nameless, then killed whoever tried to stand against our soldiers. Instead, I fell right into the nameless woman's plan. I ignore those thoughts and put my horse in the stables, following the ebony clad warrior into the actual fort. I'm not sure who she is, but I at least need to humor her.

I should have brought Sarieh with me, but I didn't event think about it until now. All I have is seven guards, Jordis, and Lydia. But it's still a tight fit for all of us to cram into the warrior's room, all of us sitting around a table. When we're all seated I start the conversation by asking, "Do you deny the accusations of slavery?". The warrior nods and answers, "Not a soul in this building is here against their will.". I inwardly sigh, her defiance makes this all the harder. So, I ask, "Do you mind if I inform the queen of this problem, and send some specialist here to examine the area to validate your claims?". I expect the warrior to refuse, but instead she nods. Seems we're fighting a political battle.

I nod my head and tell the woman, "Fine, we'll do that. I'm still leaving my men where they are, but I can do that.". The woman adjust her helm and asks, "Can you leave now?". Oh, it seems she has something to hide. Not good. I shake my head and tell her, "There are still some other charges. Kidnapping.". The warrior shakes her head and says, "No kidnapping, feel free to have the inspectors examine that too.". I shake my head, aware of the dance she's trying to play. I tell her, "I don't believe it.". The warrior's voice cracks as she snarls, "I'm telling the truth.".

I stand, leaning across the table to look the woman in the face. I manage to, but only for a nanosecond. That's all it takes for me to see the flash of blue, and that's when I know it. Sarieh wasn't lying, and Aeta is still trying to play the political game. I've dug myself a deep hole, and there's only one way out of it. Lie through my teeth. I sit back down, motion under the table for Lydia and Jordis to prepare for a fight, and tell the bitch across from me, "Remain calm, I know who you are.". Aeta shakes her head and I tell her, "Nameless.". She freezes, then slowly removes her helm. The monster beneath is straight from my nightmares, every soldier in the room put on edge. I should kill her where she stands, but right now I need to focus on saving my lover.

But that doesn't stop the hatred from pumping through my veins, the want to smash this woman's face in until she dies. I gave her a dignified and quiet death the first time, but now I'll make it bloody and long. This woman is the scum of the earth, doesn't deserve to live, and has the love of my life. The love of my life that I need to focus on saving from whatever horrible fate Nameless has in mind for her.

If that means playing the politician's game, then so be it. I clear my throat and begin, "I'll give you your wish of a civilized check for slavery, but I want my lover back. Now. Return her to me alive, and I won't sack your pathetic fort.". Nameless tilts her head and questions, "I've never known you to go against your words, so why? Why allow me to keep this place?". I sigh and begin my explanation, "I want my lover back. Give me her, and I'll withdraw my men unless we find you guilty of slavery. Deal?".

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I stare at the woman in front of me, completely confused. Rikke is offering me a way out, the last thing I'd think she'd do. Rikke could be lying to me, but the woman thinks too highly of honor and duty to lie in front of other people. Should I truly take this way out? I want my wife. Bad. But I also need to think of my family, and my life. I can always steal my wife again, or wait until Rikke dies and get her. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Give my wife back, then steal her once again later. In the meantime, I can move my family and slaves somewhere safe to protect them. So, I nod and tell the disgusting bitch in front of me, "Wait here, and I shall bring you your lover. Then, leave and never return. Understand?". Rikke nods, sitting back and relaxing.

I questioned this plan, but the dark voice of Mephala in the back of my mind approves. If a daedric prince approves, then who am I to argue? I stand and leave the room, two of my brothers following me. The Khajiit whimpers when we open the door, her one good eye pleading for her suffering to end. It'll end soon enough, but not how she's expecting. I walk over and unchain her, the woman unable to catch herself with her one hand. She gargles and rolls away, her tail coming to cover her entrance. I move to pick her up, then freeze. Why not have a little fun before I give her up? I look at my brothers and command, "You, guard the door. You, hold her down.". I doubt she needs pinning, but I can never be too careful. My bitch doesn't even bother fighting me, simply whimpering in pain as I once again claim her. Unfortunately, we don't have long and I make sure the affair is quick.

Once I've emptied myself inside of her I pull back, examining the Khjiit before me. One eye, one hand with four fingers, a missing tongue, beaten, blood continually seeping from her mouth and cunt, dislocated shoulders, and one toe missing from her right foot. The woman I saw walk into my mother's old fort is long gone, this creature taking its place. It's a beautiful transformation, and I long to keep going until there's nothing left. But right now I need to secure a little time for my siblings to escape, then I'll kidnap her again. I consider cleaning her up before handing her over, but that'll ruin the fun. However, I do pop her shoulders back in place. But that's absolutely it.

Let her lover, guards, and everyone who can see look at the woman as she truly is. It'll also add a little more humiliation. So, I yank her off the ground and carry the limp woman back to Rikke. The general screeches as I throw the Khajiit onto the table, the beast never even responding. All she does is lie there, her arms under her stomach. Rikke screeched more out of surprise than anger, but now she can clearly see the Khajiit. The entire room is silent for a few moments, everyone trying to decide what to do. Then, the Khajiit moans and weakly reaches for something, her stump revealed. Rikke grabs the arm in an instant, examining the wound. Then, she hurriedly begins to examine all of the woman's wounds. Looking at her back, flipping her over, and finally opening her mouth.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I snap when I open my lover's mouth, her tongue gone and multiple teeth shattered or missing. It also snaps Lydia and Jordis, the two yanking the Khajiit to them. They begin carrying their thane out of the room, my guards preparing their weapons. I stand up, pulling my own sword out and pointing it at Nameless. She simply smirks, her own siblings pulling out their swords. I look around, slowly put my weapon up, and tell her, "Bitch. Don't think this is over. By this time tomorrow this entire place will be burned to the ground.". Nameless keeps smirking as she shakes her head and tells me, "That's all the time I need.". Her smile drops and she snarls, "Out.". It's a command, but it's still a chance for escape. So, I take my men and flee. I'll destroy this place later, right now I need to make sure my lover is okay. The second we're out of the fort I rush up to catch up with Lydia and Jordis, the woman holding the Khajiit in between them.

Her one eye is rolling around in her skull, sightless. I reach out to try to clutch her hand, her stump hitting my palm. I grimace at the feeling, but force myself to close my hand around it. She might be out of it, but she'll still want some sort of comfort. As we all scuttle along I feel blood fill my palm, and notice the red liquid splattering everything around my lover. Without thinking I tell the housecarls, "Give her to me.". They both give me skeptical looks and I snarl, "Give her to me! She needs a damned healer, now!". Damn Elisif, damn Nameless, damn the entire province of Skyrim! I yank the Khajiit from their grasp, rush her to the nearest mounted soldier, push him off his horse, and mount up. I scream my orders, turn the horse to Solitude, and hit its side. I might have gotten my lover back, but now I need to make sure I can keep her.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

Worthless. I'm absolutely worthless. The horse beneath me keeps running, but I can't find it in me to move. Nameless took everything from me once, and she's taken it again. But now it's worse. She took away the hand I write with, the hand I held my sword with, and the hand I transformed with. I'm not entirely sure if she knew about the ring (I'd assume she did), or if she she just wanted to claim my hand. I was a proud, brave, strong, and cunning werewolf when she captured me. Now I'm worthless. I can't talk, write, fight, or even transform. I can't even move, the pain radiating throughout my body stopping me. I'm worthless, that's all I am. I close my one remaining eye, allowing darkness to take me.

* * *

**Note: _The Settlement _is getting closer and closer to an end, so I'm once again focusing on my next story. I'm currently typing up a Urzoga gra-Shugurz/Female Khajiit Dragonborn. I might even have a chapter out before _The Settlement _truly and fully ends. However, I've also noticed a lack of Urzoga's name in the list of character names. This might be a problem later on, but for now I'm not focusing on that. I suppose when I finally get the story out I'll just have the Dragonborn tag. That's about it, enjoy further chapters.**


	23. The Beat of The Drums

**Rikke POV:**

I burst into Solitude, my limp lover dangling from my arms. Guards surround me, yelling and begging to know what's going on. I push past them and run as quickly as I can, heading towards The Blue Palace. The streets are desolate as I rush through them, every house shuttered and locked. When I reach the palace I slam my shoulder into the door, desperate to reach the healer. A trail of scarlet blood follows us, my wife's stump still leaking blood. Halfway to the healer my wife briefly awakens, mumbling and reaching out to me. I awkwardly bend one of my hands to grip her own, offering her some small comfort. The Khajiit sleepily blinks at it, grumbles something, and once again descends into darkness. Renewed strength flows into my legs, carrying me to the healer even faster.

The man screeches when I bust into his room, placing my lover on his table. His shock flies from him when he sees the wounded woman, instantly going into his professional healer mode. The first thing he does is properly cauterize my lover's stump, then begin shaving the fur around the wound. Then, he smears some healing cream on it and wraps it in a clean cloth. Now the stump looks more manageable, but I also notice how filthy the Khajiit's fur is. I'll have to bathe her after her wounds are treated, so she doesn't end up getting an infection. The healer briefly disappears, then returns with a box of potions and salves.

He carefully trims the fur around my lover's missing skin on her stomach, then applies a generous amount of salves to the wound. He asks me to hold her up, then bandages her entire midsection. Then, he gingerly spreads her legs. At his expression I rush to see what he's looking at, and understand his expression of concern and hopelessness. Aeta must have raped my lover with a knife, her entrance is covered in deep cuts and slices. The healer awkwardly coughs and tells me, "Please, hold her open. These will require stitches.". I do as he asks, silently praying me lover doesn't wake up for this part.

She surprisingly doesn't, remaining unconscious for all of the stitches and salves being applies to her cunt. When that's over he goes up to her head, opening her mouth. He swallows and wrings his hands, explaining, "This isn't good.". I bite back my sarcastic comment as he continues, "Her tongue is completely gone, so I'll need to apply stitches to her throat. It'll make it awkward to drink and eat, but that's about it. However, her teeth are another story. I'll need to use artificial clots, then stitch them up. Finally, I'll need to apply stitches to the cuts along the roof of her mouth and cheeks. Overall, her mouth is going to be crawling with stitches. She'll need to eat soft foods, so the stitches stay clean. It'll take a while to apply all of the wire, please be patient.".

I nod and watch him go to work, carefully sewing my lover's wounds shut. After about an hour, he pulls back and announces, "Done with that part.". Then, he moves on to the various bruises, cuts, and scratches the Khajit has. He sews a few, applies a salve to a lot of them, and cuts the skin away from one that's started to become infected. Finally, the healer feels the woman's shoulders. He shakes his head and tells me, "They've been ripped from their sockets and improperly put back. I need to fix that. Please, hold her down. It makes things easier if she isn't fighting.".

I nod and once again help him, my wife still unconscious. I can only pray she stays that way. The healer grasps her arms, yanking as hard as his little body can. I cringe at the _pops _my lover's shoulders make as they leave their sockets, and the _crunches _they give off as he forces them back into place. The healer sighs when it's done, standing back. I run the back of my hand down my lover's cheek as I ask him, "Will she be okay?". The healer shrugs and says, "Physically she'll make it, but I'm certain this is going to mentally ruin her.". Anger pumps through me as I snarl, "She'll make it. She has before.". The man senses my fury and backs off, but offers, "I can take care of her eye if you want me to.". I warily eye him and ask, "Excuse me?". He motions to her empty socket and explains.

"I can add a stone or fake eye to the socket, then sew the skin over it.". I shake my head and tell him, "That's a decision she should make, and I'm not about to choose for her.". He nods in understanding, then tells me, "I'll get some pain potions ready, and some to help her body internally heal.". I nod and allow the man to leave, pulling up a seat to sit by my lover. It seems like only yesterday we were in the same position. My lover on death's door, and my hand seeking our hers. So much has changed, and yet we still have so far to go. The Khajiit has captured my heart, and unknowingly and unwillingly captured the heart of a monster.

I swear to every god and daedra that I'm going to kill Aeta, destroy all of her remains, and piss on her symbolic grave. Suddenly, my wife's fingers twitch. I sit up straighter, looking at her eye. The woman slowly wakes up, blinking and rolling her eye around her skull. She sees me and freezes, unsteadily sitting up. She looks around, looks back at me, and reaches out. In an instant I accept her hug, rocking her back and forth like she's a small child. The rocking seems to confuse the woman, and she pulls back. I can see her throat work, the Khajiit mentally making words that never leave her lips. When she notices the lack of words she pauses, then her face darkens as she realizes why she can't speak.

Then, she reaches out for me. My lover sees her stump, and once again freezes. She frantically pats down her body, examining ever stitch and wound. Finally, it seems it's all caught up to her. A person without a tongue can't truly cry out in sadness, but my wife does something similar. Tears fill her one eye, and her body begins violently shaking. I wrap her in my arms, shushing her. "It's okay, it's okay. You're safe, I've got you. You don't have anything to worry about now. You're completely safe.". It doesn't seem to calm my lover, if anything it makes her wail more. I pull back and do the only thing I can think of, hug the crap out of her again. I also rock her like I was before, desperately trying to calm my lover down. Finally, she stops and pulls back.

She makes a writing motion with her remaining hand, and I quickly gather the necessary supplies. I hand my lover the supplies, but realize she's left handed. The same hand that was cut off, and the same hand that her silver ring was on. The last part suddenly occurs to me, and I also realize my lover is no longer a werewolf. Oh fuck, the trauma just keeps piling on. However, I'm distracted from my thoughts by my wife awkwardly writing, her scribbling almost unreadable. She's barely able to write, and that was with her left hand. But I'm still able to make out the two words she writes and shows me. _I'm sorry. _Oh by the nine, my lover is apologizing to me. Without thinking I lean forward and hug her, the Khajiit hugging right back. We both simply lean into each other's grasps, crying and trying to comfort each other. I swear I'll kill Aeta. I swear it.

* * *

**Sarieh POV:**

The world has become chaos, the siege completely wild. Rikke abandoned the area, allowing her men to continue. Aeta's fortress is holding up surprisingly well, and she's using her slaves as soldiers. However, even that can't stop the walls from crumpling. I smile and spur my horse on faster, my childhood home catching flame. The two housecarls follow me, making sure I'm not up to something evil. The fighting doesn't last long, and I easily ride through the lines of dead siblings and slaves. The remaining slaves are taken away, and my siblings are being executed. However, I notice there aren't nearly as many slaves as I bought. One of the housecarls looks at me and asks, "Didn't you have a lot more siblings?". I look around and tell her, "I thought so...".

I shrug it off and tell the housecarls, "It's probably nothing, let's just go find my sister.". They both nod and we begin riding around, the legion soldiers now somewhat organized. However, after an hour all three of us meet back up. All of us simply shrug, unable to find my sister. I wave off their concerns and tell them, "It's probably just burned like last time.". They both nod in agreement. By now the soldiers are hunkering down and searching through the ashes, the others making a mass grave. All of them are waiting for Rikke to return, so they can get new orders. However, the houecarls and I decide to head back to the city. It's halfway up there I notice a small herd of people around the city, and hear the sounds of fighting. One of the housecarls (the blond one) asks, "What's going on?". I stop my horse and tell them, "I know why we couldn't find Aeta's body.".

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I sound my horn, my slaves and siblings once again pounding against the gates of Solitude. Rikke had a few men head back to the city, but not nearly enough. I left only the weak, young, and unneeded back at my home. It was a shame having to sacrifice the building, but it'll be easier to hold up in the palace once we have it. I'm certain the empire will send in reinforcements, but my family and I will be long gone by then. We'll need to kill all of the soldiers Rikke has, but that shouldn't be so hard once we take Solitude. Finally, my family will simply disappear into the wilderness and live as bandits.

Like the Forsworn, only we'll be a real threat. And, my wife will be at my side. However, her little lover won't be there to save her. The first thing I'll do when I have Solitude is hide my wife in the deepest dungeon, then execute Rikke. After that, I'll put her bloody head on a platter, and serve it to my wife. I can't wait to see her reaction, she'll probably cry to a little bitch. I might even fuck her while I make her look at it, or I could push her to the limit and make her kiss her deceased lover's head while I fuck her ass. Necrophilia is always a good thing to break someone, or in this case break someone even more. I've already done a good job of shattering my wife's mental and physical states. My thoughts are interrupted by the gates bursting apart into a thousand tiny pieces, and a gigantic grin splits my face. It's time to go and get what I want.

* * *

**Note: This is gonna wrap up in two or three chapters, so I'm posting my new story called _Cidhna Mine_. It's only under the Dragonborn tag, since Urzoga doesn't have her own.**


	24. Oblivion's Fire

**Rikke POV:**

I'm still hugging my lover when a guard bursts in, panting and heaving. I glare at him, but the man ignores my stare and says, "An attack on Solitude! Led by a demon straight from Oblivion!". My lover instantly falls back, unconscious. Shit. I can't stay here to comfort her, I need to take care of this problem. Once and for all. I yank my sword from my belt, nod to the guard, and tell him, "Watch over this woman with your life, I'm off to defend the capital.". He nods and goes over to the Khajiit, standing beside her. I sprint away as quickly as I can, grabbing my war horn from my belt. When I'm outside I sound the call, a few soldiers and guards already gathered in the courtyard. More come running, but I can hear the sounds of fighting in the distance.

I raise my sword in the air and tell my men, "For the first time since Potema, the city of Solitude is under attack. Backup is unlikely, and we're probably outnumbered. So, take down as many bastards as you can. Know that your widows and bastards will be well taken care of. For the empire! For Solitude!". My speech was mostly depressing, but the men still accept it with a roar of support. I push through the men and charge, my sword still held high. I'll be killing as many people as I can, but there's one person I have in mind. One person I want to see die by my sword and not an archer's arrow. Nameless.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I slowly wake up, rubbing my one good eye. My entire body aches, but I slowly sit up. I look around and see Rikke is gone. My head is throbbing in pain, but I force myself to focus on what I remember last. Nameless is attacking the city. Now I know why I fainted. Then, I notice the guard standing beside me. I open my mouth to ask him, but feel only the slightest twitch deep in my throat. Tears sting the back of my eyes as I remember Nameless ripping out my tongue, and a brief phantom ache of the wet muscle being removed. I grab my piece of paper and begin writing.

Damn, how do I make an 'r'? I do my best, but I can't remember if an 'r' has a line through it or not. Maybe I'm thinking of 't'. Fuck it, the guard will manage to know what I mean to ask. I shove the paper at him, the man awkwardly taking it and reading it. It takes him a few seconds, but he manages to question me, "Where is Rikke?". I nod and the man tells me, "She went to help the men hold off the invasion.". Oh dear sweet Oblivion. The love of my life has gone to fight the woman that's permanently crippled me multiple times. I can't stand the thought that Rikke might die. I force myself up, the guard not even bothering to stop me. Probably going to run away the second I'm gone. I don't blame him, I would to if I could. But I have a woman to stop, and her name's Rikke.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

My siblings run through the city, doing everything I've commanded. Raping, killing, and pillaging. I see an Altmer woman shooting flames at my fellows, and she leaps the wall before she can be killed. Oh well, I'll hunt her down later. My brothers and sisters throw torches, the city around me slowly catching flame. Beautiful. I draw my spear, the weapon burnt but strong. The same one I used to hurt my wife, and the one I'm going to use to kill her lover. As I walk I hear the screams of the citizens of Solitude, the dying guards, and my attacking siblings. Then, I see the reinforcements pouring from The Blue Palace.

I'm going to take a guess and say General Rikke is leading the charge, her brown armor shining in the light. Perfect. I scream and point my spear at the enemies, my siblings charging at them. My brothers and sisters pass me, but they know not to kill Rikke. I made it painfully clear that the bitch is mine. Our two sides collide and seem to explode, soldiers and siblings fighting one another like wild cats. I rush away, finding a nice place to relax and watch the battle. It's near a burning house, two bodies piled near the door. Suddenly, I hear someone yell, "NAMELESS!". I turn and see the woman I was waiting for, flames rising behind Rikke. I smile and turn to her, my arms spread wide. She snarls, "Any last words?". I shrug and tell her, "Let's do this.".

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I charge the demonic woman, her four arms outstretched in challenge. She easily dodges my blow, swinging her hoof out to kick my leg. It slightly dents my metal legging, but it doesn't stop me. I swing my sword at her side, the blade solidly sticking between her two arms. I smile at the hit, but the woman laughs and begins rapidly swinging at me. I've made the mistake of coming within the range of her four arms, and my armor _screeches _as her twenty claws scrape and scratch against the metal. A few times the claws break through the steel, and I'm left with perhaps five deep scratches along my arms and chest. They aren't life-threatening, so I keep going. I rip my blade from the woman's side, blood splattering both of us. I raise the weapon and swing again, the bitch easily stepping to the side.

Now, it's her turn to attack me. She begins doing anything she can think of, lashing out at me with her hooves, slashing at me with her claws, and occasionally snapping at me with her teeth. I manage to jump, twist, and turn around her, always barely avoiding her claws. But my luck doesn't last forever, and eventually the tide of battle turns. Her hoof slams against my leg, causing the metal to bend and my appendage to buckle. Nameless smells the weakness, and shoves me to the ground. I curse as my weapon slides form my grasp, then freeze when a shadow falls over me. I look up and see Aeta standing over me, a grin splitting her face. Shit.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I rush through the battle, desperately looking for the woman I want to see. Finally, I see Rikke running somewhere. I run after her as fast as I can, not a single weapon or piece of armor on me. When I finally catch her I freeze, the woman straight from my nightmare's once again returning to meet me. I open my mouth to scream, but my missing tongue prevents me from doing so. That's when I see a woman sneaking up behind my lover, a knife in her hand. I recognize her from Ygfa's fort. That was so long ago, but I think she handed me a bowl of soup or something. Either way, she's dying. I rush over to the woman, the bitch hearing my footsteps and looking up. She opens her mouth to scream something or maybe call for backup, but I'm upon her.

My foot connects with her face, her jaw crunching underneath my boot. She shakes her head as she stumbles back, grasping her chin. I don't wait for her to gather her wits, I punch her in the throat. She gags and falls to the ground, grasping at her windpipe. I kick her in the gut, forcing her to the ground on her side. I don't have claws and teeth, so the woman will have to put up with being beaten to death. My fist rises and meets the woman's flesh repeatedly, Nameless's sibling eventually going limp. I nod, then snap my head up when I hear a roar. I see Aeta towering over Rikke, raising her four fist. I open my mouth once again, but this time an inhuman roar rips from me. I feel my spine begin to twist, and fall to the ground. What in oblivion is happening? I get my answer a few seconds later.

* * *

**Aeta POV:**

I freeze, my fists still up in the air. I look up, and see a sight I thought I would never see again. Rikke flips around and follows my gaze, a small gasp escaping her lips. Standing before us is a monster, a creature of Hircine. The midnight black werewolf is missing an eye, pathetically tiny, has a stump for one hand, and its pelt is tangled and matted. But there's no mistaking it for who it is, my beloved wife. She might not be as big as she was, but she's still an impressive force. However, she'll never be a match for me. I step over Rikke, making sure to kick her head. I once again open my arms, telling my wife, "Come on.". She shakes her head, slinking along the ground and preparing to flank me. I chuckle and keep turning with her, my face split in a grin.

As we turn I talk, "It's good to see you're up and going, I can fuck you as soon as I'm done killing Rikke.". A roar is my only response. I laugh, then feel someone wrap their hand around my furry leg. Rikke yanks my leg out from under me, my chin connecting with the stone ground. I feel claws sink into my side, and my wife throws me into the air. I roar as I fall, swinging my arm. However, they don't hit anything. I land beside a fire, and manage to shakily stand. Then, I feel two paws hit my chest. Fuck, I'm not dying again! I get my legs under me, kicking my wife off and over me. Right into the blaze. A shame I had to kill her, I really wanted to do that later. I once again shakily stand, turning to face a shocked Rikke. I smile, then feel the teeth sink into my leg.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I sink my teeth into Nameless's leg, fire crackling along my pelt. What's a little fire to me? I've been through worse. Oblivion, I had a spiked penis shoved up my cunt. A little heat won't harm me. Well, it will, just not enough. I feel the bitch in my mouth try to get away and I quickly bite down harder, then begin dragging her backwards. Aeta falls onto her stomach, kicking like mad. I hear her clawed hands scrabbling at the ground, the woman desperate to live. I hope her cell in Oblivion is still warm, she'll be there very soon. Nameless roars, screams, and yelps as I slowly yank her into the inferno. The reaction takes a few seconds, but it happens relatively fast. Her skin crackles and melts, her eyes pop and run down her cheeks, and her fur catches fire like oil soaked cloth.

She keeps kicking, her muscles scrunching up, her horns turning to red ash, and her hooves turning to a disgusting goop. Nameless wails, but slowly stops kicking. My own pelt is mostly burnt away, and I can smell my skin beginning to cook. Time to get out of here, I've had enough of this. However, I notice something before I go. Aeta's skull is all that remains, the rest ashes and a disgusting goop. I pick the skull up in my snout, then begin trotting out of the flames. Rikke is still where I left her, simply looking at the fire that I came from. I turn behind me and look at the blaze, the goo that was once Nameless still there. How did I survive that? I don't know, but I truly don't care. I turn back around and see soldiers walking towards us. They look tired, but victorious. I can't help smiling. It's over, the battle's won. It's finally over.

* * *

**Note: Just one more chapter, and it's going to end wonderfully.**


	25. The Rest Of Our Lives

**Rikke POV:**

I slowly walk back to the palace, my lover walking by my side. Her trot is awkward considering her missing hand, but it works. As we walk, I tell her, "It appears all of Ygfa's descendants have been taken care of, but there's still a ton of work to be done. Thankfully, the city has recovered from worse.". My lover stumbles, but rights herself and keeps walking. I continue, "At least the plague is over, and The Crusaders are gone.". My lover looks over at me, obviously wishing to say something. I reach over and pat her shoulder as I tell her, "I'm certain we can do something. Maybe a mage or wizard knows something.". My lover shakes her head, and I can't help sighing at her attitude. I pat her again and say, "Come on, Elisif is probably waiting for us.".

* * *

**Elisif POV:**

I slowly leave the palace, Sybille and Falk by my side. My head is pounding, aching from something Sybille did to me. She claims it relieves the fever on my brain, but I have no idea if it actually does. I still feel the anger inside of me, urging me to behead and burn my subjects. But I can push it down and shove it somewhere dark, never to see the light. Even then, a flash of righteous fury flashes in me when I see Rikke and her lover. The Khajiit is stumbling along, shaggy fur telling me she's recently been transformed. I shake my head and blink, making my way over to the general. Rikke pats the Khajiit away, then moves to meet me. I open my mouth to say something, but before I can the woman says, "I'm resigning.".

I have to close my eyes and count to ten, the woman causing anger to course through my veins. When I'm calm, I sigh and open my eyes before asking, "What?". Rikke shuffles her feet as she says, "My lover and I talked on the way here. Well, she nodded or shook her head. We're done with this life. We love The Legion, but it's clear I'm too old to keep doing this. My fighting isn't what it use to be, I'm definitely showing my age. And, my lover is disabled permanently. She was fine when it was just her eyes and digits, but losing a hand and tongue is too much. Either way, my lover is no longer in The Legion. Even if I wanted to keep her, laws require me to forcibly discharge her.".

"Without the tie of The Legion, she has nothing here for her besides the children. And, this place frightens the kids. They see demons in every corner, Crusaders in every shadow, and your image in every flame. Lydia and Jordis also wish to leave, they want to get married in Riften. The kids want to go with them to escape this place, and my lover doesn't want them to go alone. My entire family is heading south, and I want to go with them. There are too many ghost here. I swear I turn around a thousand times a day, expecting to talk to Tullius. And when it's not him it's my mother, or my old commanding officer. I can legally retire, and I wish to. Please, let me leave without a fight.".

An inferno of rage is boiling inside of me, but Sybilee's hand on my shoulder calms me. I turn to her and the woman says, "Let her go, we'll find someone else.". I turn to the general and tell her, "Fine, but leave immediately. I don't want to see your face ever again.". Rikke nods and begins to thank me, smartly scurrying away. I sigh when she's gone, turning to my ruined city. There's a lot of work to do, and these people need a leader. It has to be me. I sigh and begin walking to the battleground, Sybille and Falk following me. Solitude has seen worse, and we'll survive. We always do.

* * *

**Rikke POV:**

I fidget in my outfit, Jordis adjusting the dress. Finally, she pulls back and claps in delight. I look at myself in the mirror and tell her, "This is stupid.". She reaches out, slapping my hand away from the collar of my dress. I see the golden band around her finger, and already know Lydia wears a matching one. Ah, young love. It makes me vomit a little in my mouth. Jordis nods approvingly and tells me, "You've said it's stupid a thousand times, but I feel the need to remind you that you were the one that proposed. Besides, Lydia's Thane is throwing up because she's so nervous. You at least owe it to her to look nice, I have no doubt she's getting all dressed up for you.". I keep looking at myself in the mirror and question, "Why is she throwing up? Does she not want to go through with it?".

Jordis shakes her head and explains, "She's afraid you're going to say no. That you're going to leave her at the altar.". I frown and say, "I'd never do that.". My housecarl nods in agreement and tells me, "I know that, but the Khajiit is still self-conscious. She's terrified you won't want her because of all that's happened. Now come on, the ceremony is about to start.". I begin walking, and tell her, "None of what happened to her was her fault, and I've forgiven her for the affair. She paid her dues a thousand times over, and I still love her more than life itself.". Jordis nods, but can't say anything because we've reached the temple. Jordis holds the door open and I carefully go inside, my bride already standing there.

The seats are full, our children and friends crowding the front benches. I find my feet frozen with nervousness, but a sharp push from Jordis gets me moving. Thank the gods, it would have destroyed my future wife to see her fiancée frozen in fear. When I make my way to the altar I turn, getting to see my bride for the first time. It was some stupid Khajiit tradition that I stay away from her, so I make sure to take it all in. She's wearing her fake eye, the realistic one that was hand painted. The folds of her ivory dress cover her stump, leaving her one remaining hand free to wear the ring I'll place on it. A wreath of flowers cover her head, the blue violets and purple daisies winding in her mane. She's brushed her fur today, in that complex pattern I once mentioned I thought looked pretty.

Her dress stops at her feet, revealing her wedding sandals. A few diamonds are sewed into the fabric of her outfit, gleaming in the torchlight. Finally, one beautifully plucked red rose is pinned to her chest. She looks even more beautiful than before, her chestnut pelt and green eyes once again have me entranced. Then, the priest clears his throat and begins talking. I hardly listen, just saying, 'I do' when I'm suppose to. My wife can't speak, but nods to finalize her marriage to me. We place the rings on our fingers, the preacher still blabbering on. Finally, we're allowed to kiss to seal the matrimony. Claps go up and we're hurried from the temple, celebrations already starting.

* * *

When we finally retire to my room I don't know what to expect, but can't help hoping for the best. I'm a Nord, and I was taught to ravage my new spouse on the first night so badly they can't walk the next day. I obviously won't be doing that, but I want to do something to her. I can only pray she's willing to. It's been months since The Siege of Solitude, and we've been doing exactly what we did after the incident at Riften. She's been writing about the incident, perfecting her penmanship, and slowing allowing herself to recover from the incident. She seems to have put Aeta completely behind her, but there are still moments. Moments where I'll kiss her, and she'll punch me in the gut on instinct.

Moments where she won't hear someone come up behind her, and slug the unsuspecting person across the face out of fear. And moments when someone or something happens to take her back, back to where she's reliving the days Aeta had here. Those are the worse, and all I can do to help is hang on and whisper soothing lullabies to her. I think it helps. My thoughts are cut off by my new wife locking the door, and tenderly kissing me. I sigh, allowing myself to relax against her. It seems she's ready to move on, at least I judge so because she's peeling off her robe. I see the marks that Aeta left upon her body, but in my eyes it only adds to her beauty. It shows how strong the woman is.

I shed my own clothes, slowly walking over to the Khajiit. Our kisses are gentle and our touches light, an unexpected carefulness coming from both of us. I allow us to simply stand there, kissing and lightly exploring the other's body. But I soon grow tired of just this, and I begin to guide the discharged Legate over to the bed. I expect to see fear in her eyes, but instead she happily climbs into the fluffy bed with me. She reaches out to touch me, resting her stump on my side. I gently remove her hand and shake my head, wishing to purely focus on her. My wife looks a little concerned, but allows me to continue.

I lie her on her back, quickly throwing the covers to the side and slowly spreading her legs. My wife is looking down at me, adding even more pressure on me. I swallow, wet my lips, and bring my face down to the Khajiit's steaming cunt. She's trimmed the fur around her genitals, giving me easier access to her. I begin to kiss, lick, and suck on the tiny nub of skin above her entrance. She lets out a noise deep in her throat, and I gingerly enter her with two of my fingers. The stitches are long gone, but the scars remain. I have to be careful, the scarred skin is extremely sensitive. I take things slow, whispering terms of endearment in between sucks and licks. My wife seems to love it, flicking her tail and yanking at the covers.

Finally, I feel her cunt begin to rapidly tighten and relax. The Khajiit moans to the best of her abilities, happily stretching as I move to wrap her in my arms. I kiss her shoulder and bring my hand back to her cunt, rubbing the nub once again. The woman seems shocked that I'm once again pleasuring her, but also seems thrilled. I have time to make up for. I repeat the process multiple times, but stop when my wife shields her cunt with her hands and shakes her head. I chuckle, cuddling up to her. The woman is exhausted, and snuggles up to my chest before slowly falling asleep. I smile at the sight of the sleeping woman, whispering, 'I love you.' when I'm sure she's asleep. Look at how far we've come. When we first met I thought she would be a decent squire and nothing more, but now I've dedicated the rest of my life to her. I left The Legion to be with her, adopted children with her when I once made myself a promise never to raise a child, and I married her.

I never even humoured the thought of getting married before a few months ago. I begin stroking my wife's back as I think. We aren't perfect, we're far from it. We've both been through a lot of shit, and we've been wounded and scarred. But we're together, happy, and healthy. Isn't that all that matters? We might be a little rough around the edges, but together we're in our own little world. Aeta is long gone, we're both retired, and we have a safe and protected home. Maven even gave us a third housecarl named Iona. A thought suddenly hits me. I'll never be able to go out exploring, get absolutely drunk, or buy a whore ever again. But I'll get to spend the rest of my life with the one woman I've ever truly loved, raise two beautiful daughters together, and see her smiling face first thing in the morning until the day I die. We've come a long way. And I'm fine with that.

_The End._

* * *

**Note: I want to thank everyone who's reviewed and/or read this story. I thought a sequel would be a horrible idea, but I've actually really enjoyed writing this and seeing the story grow before my very eyes. And, I think it turned out pretty good. But thank you all once again. Without you guys, this would just be a few words shoved in the dark corners of my computer.**


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